Department of Health and Social Care

Building the Right Support Delivery Board

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Building the Right Support Delivery Board will continue beyond March 2024.

Maria Caulfield: While we have made progress on reducing the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in mental health inpatient settings, we recognise that there is more to be done. The Building the Right Support (BtRS) Delivery Board will continue to work collectively to oversee the implementation of remaining BtRS action plan commitments, and to consider what next step actions are required.

Mental Health Services: Waiting Lists

Simon Fell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of young people who were referred to child and adolescent mental health services waited (a) two weeks, (b) one month, (c) three months, (d) six months and (e) longer than six months for an assessment in the last 12 months.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the number of referrals of children and young people aged between zero and 17 years old in England in 2021/22, as well as the time waiting between referral and their second contact for the timescales available: Number waiting between zero and four weeks137,943Percentage waiting between zero and four weeks18.80%Number of waiting between four and 12 weeks62,037Percentage waiting between four and 12 weeks8.50%Number waiting over 12 weeks38,855Percentage waiting over 12 weeks5.30%Total number733,756 Source: NHS England Note: These statistics are classified as experimental and should be used with caution.

Mental Health Services: Cumbria

Simon Fell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what crisis assessment and intervention services are available to young people under the age of 18 in South Cumbria.

Maria Caulfield: Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) has commissioned crisis and intensive support services for children and young people; this is known as the Responsive And Intensive Support Team (RAIST).The teams work seven days a week from 8am to 8pm. The team providing support in South Cumbria has registered nurses and social workers who provide a full assessment of need and work with children and young people to develop a safety plan, risk assessment and care plan. Once this has been completed, a two-week pathway of care will be identified. The children and young people will have contact daily with the community mental health practitioners to develop new skills to support the prevention of further crisis.Since the RAIST has been established with the north of the trust, there has been a reduction in the need for attendance to the emergency departments and admission to the paediatric wards.For those with severe needs or in crisis, urgent mental health helplines operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are already available in all areas of the country. They are staffed by trained mental health professionals who can provide assessment and referrals to appropriate services. These crisis lines currently take around 200,000 calls a month and received five million calls between May 2020 and April 2022.

NHS Supply Chain: ICT

Mr Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which IT supplier provides the principal IT system utilised by NHS Supply Chain.

Andrew Stephenson: NHS Supply Chain uses technology currently maintained and supported by DXC Technology. DXC Technology were appointed in 2019 following a transition from the former service provider.

Social Services: Veterans

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of social care support for veterans.

Helen Whately: The Government has an ambition to make the United Kingdom the best place in the world to be a veteran by 2028. Veterans are entitled to the same social care and support as the civilian population of England. The Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan 2022-2024, published by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, includes a commitment to explore options for the introduction of veteran-aware training for social work teams in every local authority in England.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department takes to ensure no mRNA vaccines are (a) procured and (b) supplied in breach of a patent.

Maria Caulfield: The Government has signed contracts for the supply of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, under which suppliers are required to warrant that the receipt and use of their vaccines will not infringe on any intellectual property rights.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason covid-19 vaccines are only available through the NHS as of 31 January 2024.

Maria Caulfield: The Government is committed to protecting those most at risk from COVID-19 through vaccination, as guided by the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Those eligible receive vaccination for free through the National Health Service. Whether and when a private market for COVID-19 vaccines emerges is a matter for private companies, and the Government has no formal role in this. However, the Government is supportive of the emergence of a private market for COVID-19 vaccines, to increase choice for consumers.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Autism and Learning Disability

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help tackle variations between Integrated Care Boards in levels of adults in mental health hospitals with (a) learning disabilities and (b) autism.

Maria Caulfield: Each integrated care board (ICB) produces a five-year joint forward plan with partner trusts and foundation trusts. This will encompass the needs of the entire local population, including people with a learning disability and autistic people.NHS England will continue to work with regional teams and local systems to identify and share areas of good practice, where services have been successful in reducing avoidable admissions to hospital, and helping people to leave hospital when they are clinically ready for discharge.We expect ICBs, as set out in NHS England statutory guidance published 9 May 2023, to assign an executive lead role for learning disability and autism to a suitable board member. The named lead will support the board in planning to meet the needs of its local population of people with a learning disability and autistic people and to have effective oversight of, and support improvements in, the quality of care for people in a mental health, learning disability and autism inpatient setting.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccinations have been (a) received, (b) successful, (c) unsuccessful due to a failure to meet the 60% disability threshold, (d) rejected and (e) are still awaiting resolution.

Maria Caulfield: As of 31 January 2024, the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme (VDPS) has received 9172 COVID-19 related claims. Within these claims, 163 have received an award and 4421 have been rejected. Of these rejected claims: 300 claims were rejected for not meeting the 60% disability threshold; 339 claims were found invalid, either outside the scope of the VDPS or a duplicate claim; and 4249 claims are awaiting resolution.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Coronavirus

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many claims to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme relating to covid-19 vaccines where causation has been established and where (a) the 60% disablement threshold has been met, (b) that threshold has not been met, have arisen as a result of (i) Vaccine-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis, (ii) Guillain-Barré syndrome and (iii) any other condition.

Maria Caulfield: As of 31 January 2024, of the 163 COVID-19 related applications to the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme that have received an award, 69 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 49 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 45 cases were related to other medical conditions.Of the 300 cases where causation was accepted but the individual did not meet the 60% threshold, 50 cases were related to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 63 were related to Guillain-Barré syndrome and 187 cases were related to other medical conditions.

Palliative Care: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will develop a workforce strategy to help ensure that palliative care services are available to all who need them.

Helen Whately: NHS England published the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) in 2023. The LTWP sets out the steps the National Health Service and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years, putting the workforce on sustainable footing for the long term. The LTWP aims to grow the number and proportion of NHS staff working in mental health, primary and community care, including palliative and end of life care, to deliver more preventative and proactive care across the NHS. The LTWP sets out an ambition to grow these roles 73% by 2036/37, including plans to increase the community workforce specifically by 3.9% each year.Whilst the majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to both people at end of life, and their families. Most hospices are independent, charitable organisations, and are, therefore, responsible for determining their own staffing levels. Integrated care systems have a key role to play in ensuring joined up workforce planning, working with system partners to ensure effective system wide coordination of recruitment, retention, and growing the workforce to meet the future needs of their local populations.

MMR Vaccine: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the vaccination rates are for the MMR vaccine in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, and (c) the North West.

Maria Caulfield: Official childhood vaccine coverage estimates, including for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, are published annually by the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and NHS England, and quarterly by UKHSA. Coverage of childhood vaccines are measured when children reach their first, second and fifth birthdays. Whilst the data for Preston alone is not available, the quarterly vaccine uptake data for Lancashire, which includes Preston, is available. The following table shows the number and percentage of children who received the first MMR vaccine at two and five years old, and the second MMR vaccine at five years old, in the second quarter of 2023/24:MMR1 at 2 yearsMMR1 at 5 yearsMMR2 at 5 years295791.1%320495.3%294787.7% The following table shows the same information for the North West: MMR1 at 2 yearsMMR1 at 5 yearsMMR2 at 5 years1919989.4%2141293.7%1947285.2%

Hospices: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of her Department's funding of (a) hospices and (b) St Leonard's Hospice in York.

Helen Whately: Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for determining the level of National Health Service funded palliative and end of life care, including hospice care, locally, and are responsible for ensuring that the services they commission meet the needs of their local population. As part of the Health and Care Act 2022, the Government added palliative care services to the list of services an ICB must commission, which will ensure a more consistent national approach and support commissioners in prioritising palliative and end of life care.The majority of palliative and end of life care is provided by NHS staff and services. However, we also recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, play in providing support to people at end of life and their families. Most hospices, including St Leonard’s Hospice, are charitable, independent organisations which receive some statutory funding for providing NHS services. The amount of funding hospices receive is dependent on many factors, including what other statutory services are available within the ICB footprint. Charitable hospices provide a range of services which go beyond that which statutory services are legally required to provide and, consequently, the funding arrangements reflect this.

MMR Vaccine: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase uptake of the MMR vaccine in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, and (c) the North West.

Maria Caulfield: A Lancashire Measles Incident Management Group has been set up to coordinate actions across Lancashire. This is chaired by the Director of Public Health and will meet weekly, and includes officers from Preston City Council. It works in partnership with NHS England, the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), community leaders and local general practices.The ICB's Communications and Engagement team is coordinating and collaborating with counterparts in local authorities across Lancashire and South Cumbria to enhance the level of understanding of the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and measles. In supporting the national call and recall service, the main focus is on access to primary care for a vaccine. Furthermore, the National Health Service is working with the UK Health Security Agency to ensure the region can respond to any measles cases in a timely manner, which will include stepping up any wider vaccination offers outside of general practice if this is required.Across the North West there is a clear focus on targeting areas of low uptake for children who may not have received one MMR vaccination. Partnership working is in place involving all key players to ensure a joined-up approach and the best use of resources.

Dental Services: Finance

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make (a) an assessment of the potential merits of ring-fencing NHS dentistry funding and (b) an estimate of the potential impact of such ringfencing on the NHS budget.

Andrea Leadsom: National Health Service dentistry receives £3 billion of funding each year. We want to protect dental resources for dental care and prioritise access for patients, and have taken action, starting with our contract changes announced in July 2022 to ensure that the full dental budget made available each year is spent on delivering dental care.From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to integrated care boards (ICBs) across England, along with the transfer of all funding. ICBs are responsible for having local processes in place to involve patient groups, and for undertaking oral health needs assessments, to identify areas of need and determine the priorities for investment.NHS England provided guidance for the ICBs that requires dental allocations to be ringfenced in 2023/24, with any unused resources being re-directed to improve NHS dental access in the first instance, rather than being spent on other services. In November 2023, NHS England confirmed that where ICBs had not spent all of their allocation on improving access to dentistry, they would be able to retain any underspend and use this to balance their bottom line and any other pressures. ICBs will decide how to use any forecast underspend in line with this guidance. We are currently considering arrangements for 2024/25.

Dental Health: Pupils

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will (a) make it her policy to introduce mandatory dental checks for children under 11 in educational settings and (b) make an estimate of the cost of such checks.

Andrea Leadsom: National Health Service dental treatment for children is free if you are under 18. Dental access for children has increased since the end of the pandemic. 6.4 million children were seen by an NHS dentist in the 12 months up to 30 June 2023 which compares to 3.6 million children seen during the 12 months up to 31 December 2020. No assessments have been made on the cost of mandatory dental checks for children under 11 in educational settings.NHS England is leading on the next stage of dental contract reform to address the challenges facing the delivery of NHS dentistry and to improve oral health outcomes. The changes announced by NHS England on 19 July 2022 include improving care to high needs patients, supporting practices to deliver more NHS care, and improving information for patients. The next steps in reform will consider what more can be done to move to a preventative approach and an overall improvement of the nation’s oral health.The Department has published a toolkit to support the commissioning of supervised tooth brushing programmes in early years settings and schools with several local authorities already having schemes in place, funded via the Public Health Grant.

General Practitioners

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions she has had with representatives of GP practices on the level of workload of GP surgeries.

Andrea Leadsom: Department Ministers regularly meet with general practice (GP) stakeholders to discuss a broad range of topics. The Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care. This includes cutting unnecessary burdens on GPs through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24.  The expanded primary care teams funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme add extra clinical capacity, helping to reduce the burden on GPs.

General Practitioners: Cumbria

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that General Practices have adequate funding in (a) Penrith and The Border constituency and (b) Cumbria.

Andrea Leadsom: The majority of the Department’s funding is allocated to NHS England. In turn, NHS England allocates funding to integrated care boards (ICBs) for primary care, taking account of nationally agreed contracts, such as general practitioner (GP) contracts. The Department and NHS England set the contract and associated funding for GPs each year in consultation with the profession. ICBs have delegated responsibility for commissioning healthcare services, including GP services, for their populations.In 2022/23, practices in NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB received £171.07 per registered patient and practices in NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB received £173.00 per registered patient. This is higher than the England average of £163.50 per registered patient.Spending on GPs has risen by almost a fifth in real terms, or 19%, between 2017/18 and the most recent data in 2021/22, from £11.3 billion to £13.5 billion. The Government continues to invest in GPs to ensure it is sustainable in the long-term.

General Practitioners: Rural Areas

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support General Practices in rural areas.

Andrea Leadsom: Our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care outlines how we will support general practices (GPs), including in rural areas, by empowering patients to manage their own health, implementing the Modern General Practice Access model, expanding community pharmacy services, and cutting bureaucracy to reduce workload.We acknowledge that some areas of the country are experiencing recruitment and retention issues with regard to National Health Service GPs, and we are taking steps to address this. In 2016, the Government launched the Targeted Enhanced Recruitment Scheme, which has attracted hundreds of doctors to train in hard to recruit locations, including many rural areas, by providing a one-off financial incentive of £20,000.

Integrated Care Boards: Primary Health Care

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2024 to Question 7731 on Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board: Dental Services, how many Integrated Care Boards are in leasing arrangements for primary care provision; and what the value of such contracts is.

Andrea Leadsom: Premises used for primary care provision can be leased or owned through a variety of arrangements. For example, in general practices, most premises are directly owned or leased by the general practitioners. NHS England is aware of just one integrated care board (ICB) who is holding a lease on primary care premises. The overall value of this lease commitment is £3.8 million. Whilst other ICBs may be considering taking on leases, they would be required to seek national approval.

Physician Associates

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of changing the title of Physician Associates to Physician Assistants.

Andrew Stephenson: The Physician Associate (PA) title has been well established in the United Kingdom since 2014 and the role has been part of the National Health Service workforce for more than twenty years. The title reflects the fact that they are part of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals, working together to deliver coordinated patient care. It is the responsibility of professionals and their employers to ensure professional titles are used appropriately. As set out in National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, all healthcare professionals should introduce themselves and explain their role to the patient regardless of their job title, with PAs being no different. The General Medical Council has published interim standards for PAs in advance of regulation which make it clear that professionals should always introduce their role to patients and set out their responsibilities in the team.

Drugs: Shortages

Tonia Antoniazzi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle medicine shortages.

Andrew Stephenson: There are around 14,000 licensed medicines and the overwhelming majority are in good supply. However, the medicine supply chain is highly regulated, complex, and global, meaning there can sometimes be supply issues which affect the United Kingdom, along with other countries around the world.Medicine supply problems can occur for several reasons such as manufacturing difficulties, regulatory non-compliance, access to raw materials, sudden demand spikes or distribution issues.While it is not always possible to prevent supply issues from occurring, there is a team within the Department that has a range of well-established tools and processes to manage them when they arise, working closely with the pharmaceutical industry, the National Health Service, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and others operating in the supply chain to help mitigate the risks to patients.

Drugs

Alyn Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to secure supplies of medicines for (a) diabetes, (b) cancer and (c) mental health treatments.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has well-established tools and processes to manage supply issues whenever they arise, helping to prevent shortages and mitigate risks to patients. We work with industry, NHS England, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, devolved administrations and other stakeholders to help ensure patients continue to have access to the treatments they need.The Department has been working with industry to help boost supplies of medicines for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and the position is improving as a result. Some supply issues remain, but we are continuing to work hard to resolve these as quickly as possible. We have issued guidance to all healthcare professionals on how to manage patients requiring these medicines whilst supply is disrupted. Our guidance is clear that medicines licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes should only be used for this purpose.Regarding cancer medicines, we are aware of an issue with the supply of letrozole tablets from one supplier. We have been working with alternative suppliers, who have confirmed that they have the stock available to meet demand. A supplier of tamoxifen tablets is also experiencing supply issues, but again we have worked with alternative suppliers to help ensure they can support the market at this time.Regarding medicines for mental health treatments, the Department has been working with manufacturers of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder medicines and a number of issues have now been resolved. Work continues to resolve the remaining supply issues by April 2024. We have issued a National Patient Safety Alert and worked with clinicians to develop helpful guidance on how to manage patients during this time.

Cancer: Children and Young People

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of the Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group report entitled The Children and Young People's Cancer Plan, published on 7 February 2023.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Major Conditions Strategy on the needs of children and young people that are diagnosed with cancer; and whether she plans to produce a bespoke strategy for them.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to insert an addition to the Major Conditions Strategy requiring children and young people with cancer to receive (a) age appropriate care and (b) personalised care.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of NHS England's publication entitled Cancer Under 16 Patient Experience Survey, published on 8 November 2023.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help improve cancer diagnosis services in primary healthcare settings for children and young people.

Andrew Stephenson: Cancer is a priority for the Government and the Department continues to take steps to demonstrate this. The Department is taking steps to better understand the landscape of childhood cancer with experts, aided by Dame Caroline Dinenage MP.Increasing the diagnosis rates of cancers in children and young people is a priority for the Government. Several organisations, including the Department, are taking steps across England to improve cancer diagnosis services in primary health care settings, supporting general practices (GPs) in referring patients, expanding diagnostic capacity, and enabling more precise diagnosis through technology.NHS England is working to deliver the ambition it set in its Long-Term Plan to diagnose 75% of cancers at stages one and two by 2028. The Department is working to support GPs in improving referrals for suspected cancer. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance underpinning cancer referrals sets out detailed guidance for GPs on the symptoms of cancer in children and young people, recommending very urgent referral, an appointment within 48 hours, for those presenting with a range of potential cancer symptoms including any unexplained lump, bruising or bleeding, neurological symptoms or bone pain. For many of these symptoms, GPs now have direct access to request diagnostic tests including X-ray and ultrasound.Childhood, young people’s and young adults’ cancers are included within the Department’s work on developing a Major Conditions Strategy. Addressing cancer together with other groups of conditions in a joined-up strategy will allow us to focus on where there are similarities in approach and ensure care is better centered around the patient.While the Department cannot pre-empt its outcomes or undertake a specific assessment at this stage, the Major Conditions Strategy’s final report will draw on previous work, including submissions from childhood, young people and young adults’ cancer charities and stakeholders in response to our calls for evidence on cancer and on major conditions. The emphasis is on earlier diagnosis, better support to manage conditions, and improved coordination of treatment and care. We are engaging with stakeholders representing babies, children and young people to ensure their views are considered in the development of the strategy.The Department does not plan to insert any further additions into the strategy development for age appropriate and personalised care. The NHS Long Term Plan states that, where appropriate, every person diagnosed with cancer will have access to personalised care, including needs assessment, a care plan and health and wellbeing information and support. This is being delivered in line with the NHS Comprehensive Model for Personalised Care, empowering people to manage their care and the impact of their cancer and maximise the potential of digital and community-based support.In addition, the Under 16 Cancer Patient Experience Survey, commissioned by NHS England, is now in its third year and aims to gather feedback from children and young people and their parents/carers on the cancer care and treatment received.These surveys provide valuable findings, helping the National Health Service to understand what is good about children, young people’s and adults’ cancer care, and identifying areas for improvements. 75% of children aged between eight and 15 years old reported that they were looked after very well for their cancer or tumour by healthcare staff and 89% of parents/carers rated the overall experience of their child's care as eight or more out of 10. The answers are being used to improve children’s cancer care across England. NHS England is working to review and improve play facilities, including working with the Starlight Foundation Charity on improvements to guidance, and surveying all provision to identify areas for improvement. Work is also underway in improving food quality, including nine larger Children’s Hospital’s NHS Trusts currently piloting better food provision for resident parents.The Government welcomed Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group’s Children and Young People’s Cancer Plan. The Department has not made a formal assessment of the recommendations, given the significant amount of work ongoing across NHS England and the Department. Our priorities include improving early diagnosis, delivering more research, and driving progress in genomic medicine.

Department of Health and Social Care: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty. The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are made by Ministers of the Crown; and not covered by the exemptions for the armed forces, defence or national security, taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within Government. The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Health Services

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to improve the (a) diagnosis time and (b) access to care for people suffering from (i) Crohn’s disease and (ii) colitis.

Andrew Stephenson: Cutting waiting lists is one of the Government’s top priorities. We are making progress on tackling the longest waits, to ensure patients get the care they need when they need it. Diagnostic checks are a key part of many elective care pathways, and our ambition is that by March 2025, 95% of patients needing a diagnostic check receive it within six weeks. We are working together with NHS England to increase diagnostic capacity as quickly as possible, including for patients with suspected Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, through the continued rollout of community diagnostic centres (CDCs).As of January 2024, there are 153 CDCs currently operational that have delivered over six million additional tests since July 2021. In addition, the Getting it Right First Time programme has launched a set of Further, Faster pilots to support groups of trusts to accelerate progress on outpatient transformation across a range of specialties, to reduce unnecessary appointments and improve access and waiting times for patients. The pilots are driving forward interventions within gastroenterology, for instance with the introduction of Patient Initiated Follow Up, which can be beneficial for patients with chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Drugs: Manufacturing Industries

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing financial incentives for businesses to manufacture medicines in the UK.

Andrew Stephenson: In 2021, the Government’s Life Sciences Vision set out our ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Sciences manufacturing investments. To help meet these ambitions, the Government has launched three capital grant schemes, with up to £118 million of grant funding allocated. To date, these schemes have delivered £416 million of public and private investment and helped create or secure over 1,400 jobs. We anticipate announcing the next round of grant recipients over spring 2024.In 2023, the Government announced a further £520 million of funding for Life Sciences manufacturing. This funding, available from 2025 over five years, will help to ensure that the United Kingdom remains a world leading location for Life Sciences manufacturing investments.

Pancreatin

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the supply of Creon on the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department was made aware of a global supply issue with Creon 25000 gastro-resistant capsules in autumn 2023. We worked with the manufacturers to resolve that issue and stock is currently available. We are continuing to work with the manufacturers of Creon 25000 to help ensure that action is taken to resolve any further issues that may arise, as quickly as possible, to maintain continuity of supply of this important medicine for patients in the United Kingdom.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine supply issues can be. While we can’t always prevent supply issues from occurring, the Department has a range of well-established processes and tools to manage them when they arise and help mitigate risks to patients.

Doctors: Training

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of paying junior doctors' student loans if they (a) remain in the UK and (b) take up a registrar post.

Andrew Stephenson: Whilst the Government currently has no plans to introduce such arrangements, it is committed to financially supporting healthcare students in England throughout their studies and keeps funding arrangements under review. In doing this, we must strike a balance between ensuring students are financially supported during their studies and making best use of money for the taxpayer.Data from the General Medical Council shows that approximately 7% of doctors do not hold a licence to practice five years after Foundation year 2 in England, which is equivalent to around 450 doctors.

Midwives: Recruitment

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to recruit more midwives into the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: As of November 2023, there are 23,396 full-time equivalent midwives working in National Health Service trusts and other core NHS organisations in England. This is 3,647, or 18.5%, more than in 2010.The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take to deliver an NHS workforce that meets the changing needs of the population over the next 15 years. The plan sets out the expectation that we will increase midwifery training places by 13% to 4,269 places a year for students starting this academic year. We expect that 5% of midwifery placements will be delivered through apprenticeships by 2028. Additionally, in March 2023 NHS England published its three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services. The plan sets out a target for trusts to have in place the appropriate number of posts required and to fill those roles by 2027/28. To support this, the Government has invested an additional £165 million a year to improve maternity and neonatal care, which will rise to £186 million a year this year.

NHS and Social Services: Veganism and Vegetarianism

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that vegans and vegetarians are provided with appropriate food in the (a) NHS, (b) social care and (c) other health services.

Andrew Stephenson: For the National Health Service, social care and other health services, the Care Quality Commission regulates providers on compliance with Regulation 14 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This states that health and social care providers must consider people’s preferences, religious and cultural backgrounds when providing food and drink, and that people must have their nutritional needs assessed as quickly as possible and food be provided to meet the needs identified.NHS England published updated NHS Food Standards in November 2022. The standards set out that menus should be tailored to meet patient’s dietary requirements and personal preferences. To that end, all hospital sites are expected to prepare and provide menus that meet all necessary types of dietary, religious and cultural needs. Vegetarian and vegan meals and snacks have long been part of this choice, and particularly with the focus on providing lower carbon choices, plant based meals are being provided as an extensive range.

Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis: Research

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to increase funding for research into a cure for (a) colitis and (b) Crohn’s disease.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department invests over £1 billion per year in health research through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR funds research in response to proposals received from scientists rather than allocating funding to specific disease areas, although we do commission research under certain themes, it is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions. NIHR has funded a total of 60 projects into Crohn's and Colitis research, with a combined total funding value of £33.5 million since financial year 2017/18. The NIHR also supports the delivery in the health and care system for Crohn's and Colitis research funded by research funding partners in the charity and public sectors. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including Crohn's and Colitis. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition. It is worth noting that all applications that were peer reviewed as fundable in open competition have been funded.

Medical Equipment: Recycling

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to ensure that NHS equipment which is in good condition is recycled for use by other patients.

Andrew Stephenson: As set out in the Delivering a ‘Net Zero’ National Health Service report, published in October 2020, the National Health Service is committed to reducing its environmental impact, including by increasing the reuse and recycling of medical equipment. This commitment is then applied locally, taking into account local priorities, through local Green Plans.NHS England also collaborates with NHS Supply Chain to increase availability of reusable products and supports local NHS organisations through the publication of guidance and resources to help with implementing changes.As an example, the NHS has set out ambitions to expand existing walking aid refurbishment schemes. Arrangements for the return and reuse of walking aids are managed locally, to be adapted to the local context, and a number of NHS trusts already have local return and reuse schemes with over 200 return sites now featured on the Recycle Now website, and is available at the following link:https://www.recyclenow.com/recycle-an-item/walking-aidsNHS England is supporting local NHS organisations to increase walking aid return rates. This includes: providing guidance to trusts on setting up or enhancing reuse schemes and planning communication activities; providing visual material to help communicate locally about the schemes in a consistent way; and directly supporting trusts with their pilot schemes.Regarding further equipment types, improving resource efficiency forms a key part of the Government’s Medical Technology Strategy, published in February 2023, where we are working with industry, the health and care sector, and academic partners to improve the extent to which we reuse, remanufacture, and recycle many different medical equipment types.

Measles: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many cases of measles have been reported in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, and (c) the North West in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) publishes routine data on laboratory confirmed measles. As provided in the latest published data between 1 January 2023 and 30 November 2023, there have been eight laboratory confirmed cases in the North West.UKHSA does not routinely publish measles case data at local authority level, due to the risk of deductive disclosure. However, the total number of laboratory confirmed cases of measles for the North West in the past five years is:- eight cases in 2023;- three cases in 2022;- zero cases in 2021;- nine cases in 2020; and- 51 cases in 2019.Data on monthly cases by age and region is available at the following link:   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-epidemiology-2023/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-by-month-age-and-region-2023Data over the last five years is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/measles-confirmed-cases/confirmed-cases-of-measles-in-england-and-wales-by-region-and-age-2012-to-2014

Vaccination: Children

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to tackle the spread of misinformation on (a) the MMR vaccine and (b) other childhood immunisations.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) ensures all relevant healthcare professionals have access to childhood immunisation resources to maintain confidence in the national vaccination programmes, including measles, mumps and rubella.There are a range of information leaflets and promotional materials available online about the different vaccination programmes, co-branded with the National Health Service. These include translations in a range of languages and braille, British Sign Language, large print and audio versions.NHS England is actively working with regional and local systems in low uptake communities, to enhance outreach activities and interventions to support access for individuals. UKHSA has developed an evaluation framework and resources to facilitate the efficient sharing of the most successful interventions.To assess the level of public confidence in vaccination programmes, the UKHSA undertakes annual surveys, to understand how knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards vaccine safety, and disease severity influence vaccine uptake. This information is used to inform programme planning and implementation and the development of effective communication strategies.

Autism and Learning Disability: Patients

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to set targets from April 2024 on reducing the number of people in inpatient settings with (a) learning disabilities and (b) autism.

Maria Caulfield: The NHS Long Term Plan sets out a commitment to reduce reliance on mental health inpatient care for people with learning disabilities and autistic people. NHS England will publish their Operational Planning Guidance for 2024/25, which will set out the planning expectations for National Health Service systems to support delivery of NHS services next year.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what changes to the Levene model he plans to introduce as a result of Defence Design.

James Cartlidge: Defence Design is a productivity-enhancing initiative, driven from the centre but involving every part of the Defence enterprise, with two key priorities: first, for Defence to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible; secondly, to successfully achieve our outcomes in an ever more volatile world. To do this, we are undertaking a complete review of how we work as department, seeking to ensure we are a coherent system. The work started in Spring 2023 and is anticipated to last between 18 and 24 months, which includes the need to simplify our processes and associated decision-making. As we design the future operating model, we will pilot improvements in priority areas across the system to drive change iteratively and quickly, aiming for significant changes to be in place from April 2024.

Army: Defence Equipment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress his Department has made developing organic overwatch capabilities for the army.

James Cartlidge: The Army’s organic overwatch programme is exploring the use of ground-launched systems for both mechanised and armoured forces. The programme is currently in its concept phase.

Ministry of Defence: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department has responsibility for Defence Design.

James Cartlidge: The Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for Defence Design, which is undertaking a complete review of how we work as a department.

Ministry of Defence: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what role the Chief of the Defence Staff has in Defence Design.

James Cartlidge: As one of the senior sponsors of Defence Design, the Chief of the Defence Staff is actively involved in helping to shape and improve future ways of working across the defence enterprise.

Defence Equipment & Support: Staff

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 11 of the Defence Equipment and Support Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, what steps he has taken to encourage staff to voice concerns.

James Cartlidge: I have personally expressed the importance of ensuring staff felt able to voice concerns at a DE&S “Town Hall” meeting in November 2023.As well as speaking to their management chain, staff have a number of formal and informal routes to raise behaviour which falls outside our values, including the MOD Helpline, the Employee Assistance Programme and in-house mediation service.

Ukraine: Weapons

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is taking steps to help support the manufacture of military weapons in Ukraine.

James Cartlidge: Yes. On 13-14 Dec 2023 we held the UK's first trade mission visit to Kyiv. This brought together UK and Ukrainian government officials with key stakeholders from UK and Ukrainian industry to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation. The agreements signed between UK and Ukrainian companies will enhance resilient defence industrial facilities inside Ukraine.

RFA Fort Victoria

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) personnel, (b) vehicles, (c) ships, (d) aircraft and (e) brigade combat (i) teams, (ii) squadrons and (iii) formations the UK contributed to exercise Steadfast Defender 2024.

James Heappey: Exercise STEADFAST DEFENDER is ongoing, running from January to June this year. The UK's participation will continue to showcase our role as a leading ally within NATO. Approximately 20,000 UK Service personnel are scheduled to participate, supported by eight Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and cutting-edge aircraft, such as the F35B. Crucially, our commitments will demonstrate our ability to deploy Defence capability at scale, and sustain it at range.

Ministry of Defence: Carbon Emissions

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what targets his Department has set to help achieve the Government's commitments on net zero.

James Cartlidge: The Government set out how we would meet our commitments in the Net Zero Strategy in 2021 which included a detailed breakdown of actions required across all sectors in the economy. This was updated in 2023 through the publication of 'Powering Up Britain'. The UK has halved its emissions, ahead of every other major economy, and we have grown our economy by over 70% since 1990. The UK over-achieved against the first and second carbon budgets, and the latest projections show that we are on track to meet the third. We have one of the most ambitious decarbonisation targets in the world, and we have set more stretching targets for 2030 than most countries. We plan to cut emissions by 68% by 2030, which is more than the EU, Japan or the United States. At the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2023, I was pleased to sign the Defence Net Zero Aviation Charter on behalf of MOD. Defence will continue to contribute to the achievement of the UK’s Net Zero commitment as set out in our Strategic Approach to Climate Change and Sustainability.

Tanks: Storage

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any tanks other than Challenger 2 are in storage.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has any Challenger 1 main battle tanks in storage.

James Cartlidge: I can confirm that Challenger 2 is the only tank currently held in storage.

Warships: Decommissioning

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service dates are for HMS (a) Bulwark and (b) Albion; and whether it is his Department's policy to ensure both vessels remain operational up to that date.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Development and Africa during the debate on the Situation in the Red Sea on 24 January, Official Report, column 400, if he will make it his policy that HMS (a) Albion and (b) Bulwark are not (i) mothballed (ii) tied up alongside in the context of the decision not to scrap both vessels.

James Cartlidge: It remains the case that no final decisions have been made regarding the future of HMS ALBION and HMS BULWARK. On current plans, both platforms will retire from service by the end of 2034 as originally scheduled.

Defence: Iron and Steel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the closure of the Port Talbot blast furnaces on defence capability.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the closure of Port Talbot blast furnaces on the timetable of his Department's procurement contracts.

James Cartlidge: Tata Steel’s plans to cease UK primary steel production at its Port Talbot steelworks are not anticipated to adversely impact defence. Specialist steels that are unavailable from UK sources are already sourced by our prime contractors from overseas suppliers. Other grades of steel are likely to remain available from UK sources or are widely available on world markets. Ministers across Government, including myself, continue to work closely with our suppliers to ensure that we have the capability to procure the steel required for the UK’s national security and defence programmes.

Armed Forces: Mefloquine

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under which circumstances members of the British Armed Forces are issued with Mefloquine.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many times Mefloquine has been issued to service personnel since 2017.

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have been prescribed Mefloquine by pharmacies under a contract with his Department since 2017.

Dr Andrew Murrison: Anti-malaria drugs, including mefloquine, are only prescribed after a face-to-face individual risk assessment. The recommended anti-malaria drug is determined by the sensitivity of malaria parasites to those drugs in different parts of the world based on Public Health England guidance. Mefloquine is only prescribed by a doctor and after other alternatives have been identified as unsuitable and is not prescribed to divers, aircrew, or air traffic controllers. In all cases, the authority and supply details for anti-malarial drugs are recorded on the individual’s medical note, and personnel supplied with anti-malarial drugs are issued copies of all manufacturer-provided patient documentation relevant to that drug. Between 1 January 2017 and 30 September 2023, there were 210 prescriptions for mefloquine issued to 172 UK Armed Forces personnel. Prescriptions for military personnel, issued by community pharmacies under contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), are captured in the data. Armed Forces personnel are advised to inform Defence healthcare if they receive healthcare outside of the MOD to ensure it is captured on their healthcare record.

Defence Equipment & Support

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 25 of the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, what steps he has taken to ensure DE&S are an intelligent, market-informed supplier.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 25 of the Defence Equipment and Support Annual Report and Accounts 2022-23, what steps he has taken to maximise the use of professional expertise to better inform decision-making.

James Cartlidge: DE&S is one year into delivering its three year strategy, which was updated to reflect key changes in the global context. To deliver its strategy DE&S is reforming its operating model. This includes creating a DE&S Gateway, a single entry point for the military and industry into DE&S. By pooling our professional expertise, promoting engagement early in our processes, and focussing on outcomes, this Gateway will provide access to market intelligence, knowledge and experience. It will enable the Defence community to shape military requirements, develop considered options and offer more assured delivery outcomes together.

F-35 Aircraft

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the original timescale was for completion of deliveries of F-35s to the RAF.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department expects deliveries of F-35s to the RAF to be completed.

James Cartlidge: All Partner Nations place orders for F-35 through the Joint Program Office in low-rate initial production Lots. The average time between the multi-national orders being placed for each Lot and deliveries to customer nations is between two to four years. For details of United Kingdom delivery timescales from Lot 3 to Lot 14, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer that Baroness Goldie gave to the Noble Lord, Lord Moonie on 4 November 2019 to Question HL520, which remains extant. The multi-national order for low-rate initial production Lots 15-17 was placed in early 2023, which set delivery timescales of a further thirteen UK F-35B aircraft out to 2025. The UK remains committed to 138 aircraft through the life of the programme. However, no contracts have been placed by any nation beyond production Lot 17. Precise details of delivery timescales for subsequent production Lots will be taken at the appropriate time, as part of the wider multi-national orders. This ensures the most appropriate capability and the best value for money.

Warrior Vehicles: Repairs and Maintenance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on maintenance for the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle fleet in each year since 2010.

James Cartlidge: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Ukraine: Defence Equipment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, Defence how many Aardvark AMCS Mk4 mine flail vehicles (a) are in storage, (b) are in use and (c) were donated to Ukraine between February 2022 and June 2023.

James Cartlidge: The Aardvark AMCS Mk4 is not in service with the British Armed Forces. There are none in storage nor have any been Granted in Kind to Ukraine by the UK.

King's Guards and Royal Artillery: Uniforms

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason his Department’s criteria for faux fur replacement for the (a) King’s Guard’s bearskin and (b) Royal Horse Artillery's busby caps are different.

James Cartlidge: The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery soldiers’ busby is smaller and lighter than the King’s Guards ceremonial bearskin cap, and as such the faux fur replacement criteria differs.

Ministry of Defence: Ministers' Private Offices

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any refurbishments have been made to ministerial offices in his Department in each of the last two years.

James Cartlidge: Refurbishment works were carried out to Ministerial offices in 2022. No refurbishment works took place in 2023.

Defence Equipment: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to paragraph 11 of the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, CP 811, published in March 2023, how much of the £2 billion for replenishing stockpiles has been (a) allocated and (b) awarded to contractors.

James Cartlidge: The information you have requested cannot be provided within this timeframe and I will write to you shortly with the answer to your question. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

AWE: Databases

Rebecca Long Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have the necessary security clearance to access the (i) Merlin database and (ii) documentation stored on the Merlin database pertaining to the nuclear test programme and its veterans.

Dr Andrew Murrison: As set out in the answer I gave on 23 January to Question 10374 from the right hon. Member for Wentworth and Dearne (John Healey), seven officials at the Atomic Weapons Establishment have appropriate clearance and are authorised to access the Merlin database. All Ministers hold clearances appropriate to their roles and responsibilities. As the Minister responsible in the Ministry of Defence for veteran's affairs I retain the relevant clearances to view the information retained on Merlin.AWE: Databases (docx, 27.1KB)

Boxer Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list the first Brigade combat teams to receive Boxer mechanised infantry vehicles.

James Cartlidge: The first two UK Boxer were delivered in December 2023, allowing for Ministry of Defence trials to start. The trials are being supported by 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers of the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade Combat Team who will be the first British Army Unit to receive Boxer.

Bowman Combat Radio System

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10015 on BOWMAN Combat Radio System, who the senior responsible owner is for the Bowman 5.7 project.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10015 on Bowman Combat Radio System, how many people are working on the Bowman 5.7 project team.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10015 on BOWMAN Combat Radio System, who the prime contractor for Bowman 5.7 is.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10015 on BOWMAN Combat Radio System, what assessment his Department has made of the security of the Bowman system.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 25 January 2024 to Question 10015 on BOWMAN Combat Radio System, what assessment his Department has made of how future proof the Bowman system is.

James Cartlidge: My Written Statement dated 14 December 2023 confirmed that we will continue to work with General Dynamics to ensure they deliver the planned update to sustain the in-service Bowman System, while ensuring we remain able to meet all our operational requirements. The update, alongside our own development efforts, will deliver new hardware and software ensuring troops on the frontline continue to have a secure communications system, enabling them to effectively communicate across the battlespace. As the BCIP 5.7 project is still in development and subject to approvals the procurement strategy is yet to be confirmed. There are currently six people within the Army Headquarters working on the BCIP 5.7 project, supported by the Tactical Systems (TacSys) Service Executive within Defence Digital. The LETacCIS programme has a full-time Senior Civil Servant (2*) Senior Responsible Owner, Joy Senior, who has responsibility for the BCIP 5.7 project as part of the wider LETacCIS programme.

Armed Forces: Uniforms

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of replacing real bear fur bearskin hats with faux fur bearskin hats for use in the military.

James Cartlidge: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 25 January 2024 to Question 10427 to the hon. Member for Bristol East (Ms McCarthy).King's Guards: Uniforms (docx, 26.8KB)

Armed Forces: Housing

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of officers who will lose entitlement to their Service Family Accommodation properties when the new accommodation offer is introduced.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of officers applying for transitional protection for their properties when the new accommodation offer is introduced.

James Cartlidge: The New Accommodation Offer does not remove the entitlement to Service Family Accommodation from any Service personnel and expands it to a far wider cohort than is currently eligible. We estimate the number of Officers that will be eligible for transitional protection is around 15,000 of which around 7,000 are currently in Service Family Accommodation.

Aquind: Electricity Interconnectors

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the letter from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to AQUIND Limited on 26 January 2024, reference EN020022, how much additional time his Department has requested to prepare substantive representations on the proposed AQUIND Interconnector Project.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Ministers in his Department have had (a) discussions in person and (b) exchanges by e-mail with stakeholders on the AQUIND Interconnector Project.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Ministers in his Department have had (a) in-person discussions and (b) e-mail correspondence with relevant stakeholders on the AQUIND Interconnector Project.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he last discussed potential national security implications of the AQUIND Interconnector Project with his French counterpart.

James Cartlidge: It would be inappropriate to comment on any potential input which might be submitted to an ongoing planning re-determination process. There have been no discussions or email correspondence between MOD Ministers and AQUIND stakeholders. Discussions between the Secretary of State and his French counterpart cover a variety of topics and it would not be appropriate to comment on the detail of those discussions.

Armed Forces: Nutrition

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to chapter 6 of his Department's publication entitled JSP 456 Defence Catering Manual Volume 4 – Catering, Retail and Leisure (CRL) Part 2: Guidance, published in December 2014, whether the guidance on core meals is up to date.

James Cartlidge: Chapter 6 of the publication entitled JSP 456 Defence Catering Manual Volume 4 – Catering, Retail and Leisure (CRL) Part 2: Guidance, published in December 2014, is extant.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q33 of the oral evidence given to the Committee of Public Accounts on 22 January 2024, HC 451, what changes he is considering to his Department's procurement process.

James Cartlidge: We set out our approach to acquisition reform in the Defence Command Paper. We are putting an increased emphasis on time to delivery so that we can get capability into the hands of our Armed Forces when it is needed. We will prioritise timely delivery over perfection, increasing the use of spiral development to drive pace and adapt to the rapidly changing environment.

Defence: Iron and Steel

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade on the closure of the Port Talbot blast furnaces by Tata steel.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has met representatives of UK steel since his appointment.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Minister for Defence Procurement has met UK Steel since his appointment.

James Cartlidge: Ministry of Defence Ministers and officials have regular meetings with counterparts in other Government Departments on a range of matters including industry and the defence supply chain. In regard of meetings with UK Steel, I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 14 November 2023 to Question number 1039.UK Steel (docx, 14.7KB)

Army: Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much Department has allocated for the Land Mobility Pipeline procurement projects.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 19 June 2023 to Question 188678 regarding the Land Mobility Programme (formerly the Protected Mobility Programme). Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement (docx, 27.0KB)

Army: Vehicles

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what programmes are included in the British Army’s Land Mobility Pipeline; and what their associated in-service dates are.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 20 June 2023 to Questions 188841 and 188867 regarding the Land Mobility Programme (formerly the Protected Mobility Programme). The Programme’s Strategic Outline Case will be presented for approval in March 2024, therefore the platforms to be delivered and their expected in-service dates are yet to be formally endorsed. Armoured Fighting Vehicles (docx, 16.2KB)

RAF Chicksands: Housing

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of the service accommodation at Chicksands base in Mid Bedfordshire falls into each category of accommodation standard.

James Cartlidge: Of the 255 Service Family Accommodation properties at Chicksands, Mid Bedfordshire, 98.5% meet or exceed the Decent Homes (DH) Standard. A breakdown is shown in the table below: DH StandardTotal SFA%DH Plus24094.12%DH114.31%DH Minus41.57% All Service Family Accommodation allocated to Service families in the UK meets the Government’s Decent Homes Standard as a minimum. Homes below this standard should not be allocated to Service personnel and their families.  There are 1,228 Single Living Accommodation (SLA) Bedspaces at Chicksands, Mid Bedfordshire. A breakdown is shown in the table below: Grade for ConditionNumber of Bedspaces%230825%348940%443135% There are four grades of permanent SLA - ranging from one to four, one being the highest condition - based on the assessment criteria of location, age, state of repair, size and facilities.

Defence Suppliers Forum

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Defence Suppliers' Forum publication entitled Collaboration Charter, published on 22 November 2023, whether he plans to engage with businesses signed up to that Charter before other businesses.

James Cartlidge: The most important aspect of the MOD-Industry collaboration charter is that it provides the top- down direction to frame our relationship across all levels of the Department and with all our interactions with Industry regardless of whether they have signed the charter or not. Whilst signatories to the collaboration charter are invited to exchange information at an appropriate classification, the MOD treats all its suppliers equally and fairly in line with Government procurement rules. At the bespoke workshops there are trade body representatives to bring a wider perspective into the debates and who can then feedback appropriately to their members.

King's Guards: Uniforms

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the suitability of the synthetic material used for busby caps in the Royal Horse Artillery for the King's Guard bearskins.

James Cartlidge: The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery soldiers' busby is considerably smaller and lighter than the King's Guards ceremonial bearskin cap, worn much less frequently and for shorter periods of time. For these reasons, the synthetic material used for the soldiers' busby does not meet the faux fur replacement criteria for the bearskin caps and is considered an unsuitable alternative.

Ministry of Defence: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q91 of the oral evidence given by Lt General Sir Robert Magowan to the Public Accounts Committee on 22 January 2024, HC 451, when he expects the rewriting of the routine operating model to be completed.

James Cartlidge: The rewriting of the Queen Elizabeth Class Routine Operating Model is complete, subject to approval by senior military officers and Ministers.

Nuclear Skills Taskforce

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who sits on the Nuclear Skills Taskforce.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what dates the Nuclear Skills Taskforce has met since its establishment.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Nuclear Skills Taskforce.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q83 of the oral evidence given by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence to the Public Accounts Committee on 22 January 2024, HC 451, what plans he has to recruit an extra ten thousand (a) apprentices, (b) graduate engineers and (c) people in other professions.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q83 of the oral evidence given by David Williams to the Public Accounts Committee on 22 January 2024, HC 451, when he expects to (a) receive and (b) publish the report from the nuclear skills taskforce.

James Cartlidge: The Nuclear Skills Taskforce is addressing how the UK continues to build nuclear skills and address challenges across its defence and civil workforce to help the UK meet its nuclear ambition. The Taskforce is chaired by Sir Simon Bollom KBE and includes representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Education, academia, professional bodies and industry partners. Since September 2023, meetings have taken place almost weekly. As set out by the Permanent Secretary, a report setting out the Taskforce’s findings and recommendations will be presented to Ministers shortly with publication to follow in due course. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on future recruitment plans before the Government has given that report due consideration.

Defence Equipment & Support

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department plans to make the CEO of Defence Equipment & Support an Additional Accounting Officer.

James Cartlidge: The DE&S CEO has now formally joined the Defence Board. This is the most senior committee in the MOD, responsible for top level strategic leadership and plans for generating military force. This amendment to the Defence Board’s membership ensures that DE&S will take a fuller, more integrated role in setting the Department’s broader strategic direction. Defence Design is undertaking a complete review of how we work as a Department. As part of this initiative, we will look at whether the CEO of DE&S should be an Additional Accounting Officer, as the Second Permanent Secretary and Director General Nuclear already are. Any changes from the current Accounting Officer arrangements will flow from the future model. At present, the Permanent Secretary remains the Accounting Officer for the Military Commands and the CEO DE&S is able to escalate any concerns as required.

Ministry of Defence: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department is using external (a) consultants and (b) experts for the development of Defence Design.

James Cartlidge: Defence Design is led and directed by the Ministry of Defence. External consultants are supporting Defence Design providing specialist support in areas such as operating system design and change. We are taking a collaborative approach meaning we are engaging with a broad spectrum of experts and colleagues from across Defence, wider Government, industry and academia.

Defence Equipment: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will ensure that top level budget holders in the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force assess their budgets on the same basis for future Equipment Plan reports.

James Cartlidge: All Top Level Budget Holders (TLBs) already operate within the same standardised financial planning processes. The Department's operating model, where responsibility for managing the equipment plan is delegated to TLBs, acknowledges that they have different financial positions and carry a balance between capability and financial risk. The Department is committed to reviewing the format of future equipment plan reports to ensure they remain fit for purpose.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Gaza: Genocide

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the International Court of Justice’s decision on the request for provisional measures in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to change his approach to (a) the Israeli Government and (b) the UN General Assembly and Security Council as a result of the International Court of Justice’s decision on the request for provisional measures in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We respect the role and independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). However, we have stated that we have considerable concerns about this case, which is not helpful in the goal of achieving a sustainable ceasefire. Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), as we have said from the outset. Our view is that Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, which is why we thought South Africa's decision to bring the case was wrong and provocative. We welcome the Court's call for the immediate release of hostages and the need to get more aid into Gaza. We are clear that an immediate pause is necessary to get aid in and hostages out, and then we want to build towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to the fighting.

Gaza: Children

Dan Carden: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will take steps to help ensure access to education for children in Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is a founding member and key donor to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. ECW is supporting education preparedness work in Gaza. We continue to support the wider delivery of education in Gaza, including through NGOs, UN partners, the World Bank, and the Global Partnership for Education.

Israel: Hezbollah

Nicola Richards: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on the alleged construction of cross-border tunnels into Israel by Hezbollah.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has repeatedly condemned Hizballah's destabilising activity in the region, including the construction of tunnels and the stockpiling of weapons, in breach of UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701. Such activity presents a threat to the security of both Israel and Lebanon and risks an escalation that is in nobody's interests.

Iran: Christianity

Ian Paisley: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of trends in the number of Christians arrested in Iran.

Leo Docherty: The UK condemns the continued persecution of religious minorities in Iran and is aware of the recent upsurge in arbitrary arrests of Christians. At the 78th UNGA, we co-sponsored the Iran Human Rights Resolution, calling for Iran to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination on the basis of thought, conscience, religion or belief. The UK is an active member of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, where we continue to call on Iran to uphold fundamental rights. We are committed to promoting religious freedom and will continue to work with partners to promote the rights of Christians in Iran. We also work with our international partners in multilateral fora.

Roya Heshmati

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reported flogging of Roya Heshmati in Iran; and whether he has had discussions with his Iranian counterpart on the matter.

Leo Docherty: The FCDO is aware of Roya Heshmati's case, which is indicative of the persecution women continue to face in Iran. Since October 2022, we have sanctioned 94 individuals or entities for human rights abuses, including senior decision makers responsible for Iran's oppressive hijab law. Last year, the Foreign Secretary hosted a roundtable with Iranian women's rights defenders, joining them in calling for change. We will continue to raise women and girls' rights issues at all appropriate opportunities with the Iranian Government.

India: Adani Group

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Indian counterpart on implementing the Indian Supreme Court's decision of 3 January 2024.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK Government recognises that Indian Supreme Court decisions are a matter for India. The UK supports appropriate market regulatory mechanisms as a standard of good governance.

UNRWA: Finance

Tommy Sheppard: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Foreign Secretary is in close contact with senior Israeli political leaders regarding the wider humanitarian situation in Gaza; he discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 January. The UK is appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned, and announced on 27 January its pause to any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations. We are looking to our partners in the UN to carry out a robust and comprehensive investigation.

Pakistan: Floods

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help support Pakistan to recover in the long-term from the floods that took place in 2022.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK has pledged a total of £39 million of UK aid for flood relief efforts in Pakistan. This money is responding to people's needs and recovery through funding national and international aid agencies on the ground, the provision of UK relief items, and technical expertise. We remain committed to working with the Government of Pakistan and international agencies to understand how we can best support those in need.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the International Court of Justice’s decision on the request for provisional measures in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel), what steps he is taking to accelerate the delivery of aid into Gaza.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. The Foreign Secretary discussed the urgency of getting significantly more aid into Gaza to alleviate the desperate situation there with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 24 January. He reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza. An immediate pause is now necessary to get aid in and hostages out.Israel must take steps, working with other partners including the UN and Egypt, to significantly increase the flow of aid into Gaza including allowing prolonged humanitarian pauses, opening more routes into Gaza and restoring and sustaining water, fuel and electricity.We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and are working closely with partners in international agencies and in the region to increase access. The Foreign Secretary's Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson, is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.

Gaza: Charities

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which properties of UK charities in Gaza have been hit by Israeli military strikes.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are aware of the air strike that hit the residential compound housing the International Red Cross (IRC) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) Emergency Medical Team (EMT). Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas, but it must comply with International Humanitarian Law (IHL); including the protection of hospitals, civilians, and medical staff. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians.

Gaza: Armed Conflict

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has raised with his Israeli counterpart the reported airstrike on the Medical Aid for Palestine and International Red Cross compound in Al Muwasi on 18 January 2023.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Israel has a right to defend itself against Hamas, but it must comply with International Humanitarian Law (IHL); including the protection of hospitals, civilians, and medical staff. We want to see Israel take greater care to limit its operations to military targets and avoid harming civilians. The Prime Minister has made this clear to Prime Minister Netanyahu. The Foreign Secretary also raised this with Prime Minister Netanyahu, including the airstrike affecting the Medical Aid for Palestinian (MAP) and International Red Cross (IRC) compound and team.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department forecasted aid funding for agencies supporting people in Palestine for the financial year 2024-2025.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We trebled our aid commitment this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.We will continue to support and have supported the United Nations World Food Programme to deliver a new humanitarian land corridor from Jordan into Gaza. 750 tonnes of life-saving food aid arrived in the first delivery and 315 tonnes in the second delivery.

UNRWA: Finance

Rachel Hopkins: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department forecasted aid funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees for the financial year 2024-25.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are appalled by allegations that United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. As we have said, we are pausing any future funding of UNRWA, whilst we review these concerning allegations. The pause will remain in place until we review the allegations, and any future funding decisions will be taken after this point. We are looking to our partners in the UN to carry out a robust and comprehensive investigation.We remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to people in Gaza who desperately need it.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure aid continues to reach Gaza, following the suspension of funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is appalled by allegations that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel, a heinous act of terrorism that the UK Government has repeatedly condemned. The UK is pausing any future funding of UNRWA whilst we review these concerning allegations.However, we remain committed to getting humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza who desperately need it, and our decision to pause future funding to UNRWA has no impact on the UK's contribution to the humanitarian response. Our commitment to trebling aid to Gaza still stands, and we are getting on with aid delivery through funding multiple implementing partners including other UN agencies and international and UK NGOs. This support is helping people in Gaza get food, water, shelter and medicines. The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.

Sri Lanka: Civil Liberties

Bob Blackman: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Sri Lankan Online Safety Act on freedom of expression and religion in that country.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Despite concerns expressed by civil society, opposition parties and international internet providers regarding the potential negative impacts of the Online Safety Act, the Sri Lankan Parliament passed it into law on 24 January. The UK also raised concerns about the impact of this Act on freedom of expression and economic growth, including when I met Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe in October, and when Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister of State for South Asia, met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry on 25 January. The UK will continue to closely follow developments on this Act.

Eritrea: Human Rights

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Eritrea.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make representations to his Eritrean counterpart for the release of religious detainees.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We consistently raise the need to improve the human rights situation with the Eritrean Government. We advocate for national service reform and the end of arbitrary detentions, including detentions based on religion or belief. Eritrea is a priority country in the FCDO Annual Human Rights Report and we support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Eritrea, voting in favour of his mandate renewal in July 2023. As we have stated at the Human Rights Council, all those who have been unjustly incarcerated must be released.

Russia: Asylum

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help tackle the deportation of asylum seekers from the North Caucasus region to Russia.

Leo Docherty: The UK has consistently condemned the significant deterioration in the human rights situation in Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In multilateral fora the UK continues to call for Russia to meet its international obligations, including at the The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and UN. The situation in Chechnya and Ingushetia is particularly egregious, as highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Russia. The UK has repeatedly called on Russia to end human rights violations in Chechnya, conduct effective investigations into reports and ensure that those responsible are held to account. The UK regularly discusses migration issues with our international partners.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Sir Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Rapid Support Forces occupying Wad Madani in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Since my Written Ministerial Statement of 30 November 2023, the UK has continued to call upon the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to effect a ceasefire, protect civilians and enable full humanitarian access to alleviate the Sudanese people's suffering. On 22 December 2023, the UK played a leading role in gaining consensus for a UN Security Council press statement, calling on both warring parties to cease hostilities immediately and condemning ongoing attacks against civilians in Wad Medani.

Sudan: Churches

Ian Paisley: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the reported incident of arson on the Wad Medani Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Sudan.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK has consistently denounced all human rights violations that have taken place in Sudan since 15 April 2023 and secured a UN Human Rights Council resolution in October 2023 to establish a fact-finding mission for Sudan. According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), they have not observed a significant increase in the specific targeting or discrimination against any religious minorities because of their beliefs. We support OHCHR's continued monitoring of the situation in Sudan.

HIV Infection: Disease Control

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on taking steps to help eliminate HIV/AIDS.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK remains a world leader in efforts to end the global AIDS epidemic and funds all key partners in the global AIDS response, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNITAID, World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria. The Minister of State (Development and Africa) regularly engages with the leadership of these organisations on our key shared priorities for global health, including on approaches to ending AIDS as a public health threat.The UK's investments, including to the WHO, help to ensure that people at high risk of HIV in the global south can access Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and other HIV prevention and treatment services. WHO has recently published new guidelines on HIV, STI and viral hepatitis prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations, which will support countries and local organisations in designing and implementing their HIV strategies and interventions.Our pledge of £1 billion to the Global Fund will save over 1 million lives, including by providing antiretroviral therapy for 1.8 million people, HIV counselling and testing for 48 million people, and reaching 3 million members of key affected populations with prevention programs.Our funding for the Robert Carr Fund and UNAIDS supports initiatives to empower local civil society and grassroots organisations, predominantly in the Global South, to increase access to HIV prevention, testing and care services, particularly for LGBT+ people.

Department for Transport

Motorways: ICT

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made implementing stopped vehicle detection technology on motorways.

Guy Opperman: National Highways delivered their commitment to install stopped vehicle detection (SVD) technology on all existing all lane running smart motorway schemes by the end of September 2022. The Office for Rail and Road has confirmed that targets for SVD detection rates are now being met.

Members: Correspondence

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to respond to the correspondence dated 3 November 2023 from the hon. Member for Glasgow Central on the DVLA and identity documents, reference ZA33642.

Guy Opperman: A response to your letter was sent on 1 February. Apologies are given on behalf of the DfT for the delay in responding.

Bus Services

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many bus routes there were in each (a) constituency and (b) region in each year since 2015.

Guy Opperman: The Department does not routinely collect statistics on the number of bus routes by constituency or region.

Taxis: VAT

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had recent discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on (a) the VAT treatment of private hire vehicles and (b) the potential impact of changes in VAT rates for those vehicles on the viability of that sector.

Guy Opperman: The Government remains committed to consult on the potential impacts of the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.

Roads: Greater London

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in road traffic accidents in Greater London in each of the last five years.

Guy Opperman: DfT road casualty statistics provide numbers of personal injury road traffic collisions in Great Britain that were reported to the police using the STATS19 reporting system. The table shows the number of people killed and seriously injured in collisions in London for the five most recent years with finalised data available.  YearFatal casualties on London roadsSerious (adjusted) casualties on London roads20181123,96720191253,7812020962,9722021753,50620221033,864

Active Travel: Finance

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding his Department plans to allocate to active travel in the 2024-25 financial year.

Guy Opperman: In the business planning process last year, the Department provisionally allocated a total of £146m to Active Travel England in the 2024-25 financial year. This comprises £54m capital and £92m revenue funding. The Department’s business planning process for the 2024/25 financial year is ongoing and final plans will be published in due course. This is only one element of over £3 billion that is being invested in active travel over the course of this Parliament, from a wide range of funding streams from across Government. This includes funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and the Levelling Up Fund.

Northern Transport Acceleration Council

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the status is of the Northern Transport Acceleration Council.

Huw Merriman: As you know, the Northern Transport Acceleration Council (NTAC) was set up in 2020 as an advisory forum.In 2022, the decision was taken to dissolve NTAC, in response to feedback from Northern leaders, who provided feedback that their own body was a more suitable channel than NTAC.

Whitchurch Station: Access

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps her Department has taken with Network Rail to make Whitchurch railway station fully accessible.

Huw Merriman: As part of the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m of additional funding will be made available to improve the accessibility of stations across Great Britain. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding, including a nomination for Whitchurch railway station. If successful, the funding will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.

Railway Stations: Access

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of control period seven of the Access for All programme.

Huw Merriman: As part of the Prime Minister’s Network North announcement, the Government confirmed £350m of additional funding will be made available to improve the accessibility of stations across Great Britain through the Access for All programme.

Rolling Stock: Procurement

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many sets of doors per carriage are listed in the rolling stock procurement specifications HS2 Ltd agreed with Alston and Hitachi on 9 December 2021.

Huw Merriman: The sets of doors per carriage are not fixed in the rolling stock procurement specification and the final configuration of the train is being developed through the design process.

Railways: Standards

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the consultation by the Great British Railways Transition Team entitled Whole Industry Strategic Plan, published on 9 December 2021.

Huw Merriman: The Great British Railways Transition Team have factored the consultation and the responses received into their ongoing work on the Long Term Strategy for Rail (formerly known as the Whole Industry Strategic Plan). Alongside this, they are ensuring wider policy announcements, such as Network North, are fully considered.

Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

Caroline Nokes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of idling stationary vehicles on levels of CO2 emissions.

Anthony Browne: The impact of idling stationary vehicles is not specifically assessed in transport emissions statistics.

Shipping: Training

Karl Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the number of (a) ratings and (b) cadets that will be trained on Tonnage Tax qualifying vessels in 2023-24.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Transport does not collect this information.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether an equality impact assessment has been undertaken for the Horizon compensation scheme.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Post Office does not have specific requirements to carry out an Equality Impact Assessment in delivering compensation. However, the Department has carried out assessments of the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS), Overturned Convictions and Group Litigation Order (GLO) compensation against the Public Sector Equality Duty to ensure that due regard is given to the responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010, including measures to eliminate discrimination and advance equality of opportunity.

Postal Services: ICT

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department had discussions with the Royal Mail on the Printed Postage Impressions system prior to 2013.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what estimate she has made of the number of prosecutions involving potential Printed Postage Impressions fraud in the last 15 years; and what estimate she has made of the number of cases alleging wrongful prosecutions in relation to those cases in the last 15 years.

Kevin Hollinrake: Operational matters, which include those relating to the Printed Postage Impressions service, are the direct responsibility of Royal Mail. The Government is not involved in the day- to-day operations of the company and does not play a role in handling or resolving issues in relation to postage fraud.Royal Mail has a well-established process in place to deal with suspected postage fraud. This is handled by the Royal Mail Revenue Protection team, who would be best placed to answer any queries in relation to this issue.

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Dame Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she make an assessment of the potential merits of including Post Office clerks who were impacted by the Horizon scandal in the compensation schemes.

Dame Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including individuals who were employed by a franchise organisation of the Post Office and who were impacted by the Horizon scandal in the compensation schemes.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government wants everyone affected by the Horizon scandal to come forward to get the compensation they deserve. With reference to the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, which is still open to late applications, claimants must have, or have previously had, a contract directly with the Post Office to be eligible for compensation. The full eligibility criteria are published on the Post Office website. The Group Litigation Order (GLO) scheme is limited to those who participated in the 2019 Group Litigation Order legal action against the Post Office and did not have a Horizon-related conviction. Compensation is also available to individuals who have had their convictions relating to Horizon shortfalls overturned. The Government has no current plans to extend the scope of these schemes further.

Cyprus: Investment and Overseas Trade

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to produce a trade and investment factsheet for trade with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Greg Hands: UK trade statistics from the Office for National Statistics, which provide most of the headline information shown in the trade and investment factsheets, do not include figures identifying UK trade with the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is therefore not possible to produce a separate trade and investment factsheet.

Department for International Trade: Indonesia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the Department for International Trade's publication of ministerial travel data for July to September 2022, what the cost was of the (a) plane tickets and (b) accommodation used by the former Minister of State for International Trade on his visit to Indonesia from 20 to 24 September 2022.

Greg Hands: The Government publishes, on gov.uk, details of the total cost of overseas Ministerial travel, including costs of travel, and of other costs (visas, accommodation, meals). However, as has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ travel at home or abroad, nor details of those accompanying them.

Tractors: Batteries

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answers of 14 and 18 December 2023 to Questions 6067, 6068 and 6383 and the Answer of 10 January 2024 to Question 7471 on Tractors: Batteries, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact on the UK's transition to electric vehicles of tariffs on battery electric truck tractors from the EU in each year to 2030.

Greg Hands: The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors to facilitate tariff free trade have been in force since 1 January 2021 and were not due to change in 2024. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) works across government to support the transition to zero emission vehicles. Zero emission vehicles will help the UK decarbonise and Government remains committed to the Net Zero 2050 target.

Sharing Economy: Conditions of Employment

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department plans to bring forward proposals on strengthening protection for gig economy workers.

Kevin Hollinrake: We are proud of our flexible and dynamic labour market which allows businesses in every region of the UK to create jobs and promote participation.The gig economy offers individuals flexibility and can provide opportunities for those unable to work in more conventional ways. An individual’s entitlement to rights at work is determined by their employment status: employee, worker or self-employed. Gig economy workers can be classed under any of these depending on their employment relationship. In 2022 we published guidance to help individuals and businesses determine their status and better understand the rights they are entitled to.

Minimum Wage

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will introduce a minimum wage of £12 per hour for (a) early years and (b) elder care.

Kevin Hollinrake: This Government is committed to building an economy that works for everyone. Through the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and the National Living Wage (NLW), the Government protects the lowest paid within our society. The Government has accepted all of the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission.From April, the NLW will increase for workers aged 21 years and over to £11.44 an hour. For workers aged 18-20, the NMW rate will increase to £8.60 an hour. For those under 18, and for apprentices under 19, the NMW rate will increase to £6.40 an hour.

Department for Business and Trade: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Greg Hands: The Environmental principles duty does not require the Government to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty. The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department, or an arm’s length body, which are: made by Ministers of the Crown; and not covered by the exemptions for the armed forces, defence or national security, taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within government. The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people serving prison sentences in England and Wales as of January 29 2024 were born outside of the United Kingdom.

Edward Argar: Data on the nationality of prisoners serving sentences in England and Wales are published in the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly, which is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly.As the data requested in relation to the place of birth of prisoners in custody on 29 January 2024 relates to nationality data for future publication, we cannot release it at this time. The removal of Foreign National Offenders (FNO) is a Government priority and we removed 16,676 FNO between January 2019 and September 2023. Published figures show that FNO returns have increased in the latest 12-month period (ending September 2023) by 19% when compared to previous 12-month period (3,577 compared to 3,011).We have recently announced measures to further increase removals including the extension of the Early Removal Scheme window to 18 months; working closely with Home Office to facilitate timely removals and using diplomatic pressure to conclude bilateral Prison Transfer Agreements with specific countries.

Criminal Records

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take legislative steps to expunge criminal records for summary offence crimes committed by individuals (a) under the age of 18 and (b) more than 10 years ago.

Edward Argar: The Government agrees with the conclusion of the 2017 Justice Select Committee report, ‘Disclosure of youth criminal records’, which found that, whilst there may be some merits in a mechanism whereby records could become ‘sealed’, this would create “unsustainable pressures” on the body responsible for deciding if a record should be sealed. As the report recommended, we are instead focused on using and reforming the existing automatic filtering system. In November 2020, we implemented secondary legislation that changed the rules governing criminal records disclosure for those working with children, vulnerable adults or in a position of public trust, removing (for example) the requirement to disclose youth cautions. Further changes introduced by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act have significantly reduced the length of time that someone needs to disclose their criminal record for custodial sentences of under four years and community sentences. We believe that these reforms will continue to ensure we strike the right balance between public protection and ensuring that individuals, and in particular children, who committed minor offences can move on with their lives as quickly as possible.

Prison Officers

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2024 to Question 7947 on Prison Officers, what the total cost to the public purse was for the provision of prison officers on detached duty in 2023.

Edward Argar: As data on travel, subsistence and accommodation in relation to detached duty are not separately identified, it is not possible to provide the information requested. The calculation of the average additional cost associated with deployment of staff on detached duty given in response to Question 7947 included some estimated figures: for example, for the average length of journeys.

Prison Officers: Employment

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has made a recent estimate of the cumulative number of years of experience held by serving prison officers in each year since 2010.

Edward Argar: I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave on 11 January 2024 to Question 8407: Written questions and answers - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.

Recovery of Costs

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will undertake a review of the fixed recoverable costs scheme.

Mike Freer: Fixed recoverable costs (FRC) was extended for new cases on 1 October 2023. The Government will review the extended FRC regime in October 2026, three years after implementation. More information about the nature and scope of the review will be set out nearer the time.

Coroners: Pathology

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many qualified pathologists work for the coroner service.

Mike Freer: The standard NHS histopathology contract does not include coronial post-mortem work, which is separately commissioned by individual coroner areas. Consequently, it is not possible to identify the number of pathologists undertaking coronial work from the number currently holding NHS contracts, and this information is not centrally collated from other sources.

Young Offender Institutions: Abuse

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many allegations of (a) physical and (b) sexual abuse were made at young offender institutions in each year since 2015.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many safeguarding referrals have been made from each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre in each of the last five years.

Edward Argar: The available data are set out in the tables below:i) Allegations of (a) physical abuse at Young Offender Institutions:2020202120222023216285386377 Allegations of (b) sexual abuse at Young Offender Institutions: 202020212022202329398464 Please note that multiple categories of concern may be recorded per safeguarding referral. The above breakdown details the volume of all safeguarding referrals with (a) physical abuse or (b) sexual abuse recorded as an element of the referral though these may not be the primary reason for the referral.i) Volume of safeguarding referrals across Young Offender Institutions and Secure Training Centres.(a) Young Offender Institutions:Establishment2020202120222023Cookham Wood728315697Feltham A114104160146Parc YPU1184189Werrington6381103154Wetherby157214252292   (b) Secure Training Centres:Establishment2020202120222023Rainsbrook279146**Oakhill317200236187   *Rainsbrook closed in December 2021. When a safeguarding case is opened, the detail of the case may not be known. We conduct a thorough investigation of every case to understand the details and the severity of the concern and ensure that any necessary actions are taken to protect the children in our custody. The referrals could be about matters in the community or whilst in custody.It is not the case that an increase in safeguarding cases should always be a matter of concern: this would be dependent on the nature of the case. An increased number of cases may represent increased confidence on the part of staff in reporting concerns or may indicate that children feel safe to disclose information to staff. It is by conducting a thorough investigation that we can understand the nature of each case and identify any trends that need to be addressed. Please note that not all referrals result in further action for example, HM YOI Werrington received 63 referrals within a 12-month period of which only two of these referrals were upheld.The Youth Custody Service has responsibility for safeguarding strategy and practice across the youth estate. We have published a new policy framework ‘Safeguarding and Child Protection in the Youth Custody Service’ and each site’s operating procedures have been updated.

Youth Custody: Vacancies

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many job vacancies there were in the Secure Youth Estate at 30 January 2024.

Edward Argar: The following table provides information relating to staff in the Youth Custody Service who are directly employed by H M Prison & Probation Service. This comprises operational and administrative staff at public sector young offender institutions, plus headquarters staff:Target StaffingStaff In PostVacanciesVacancies (%)1879.281809.1870.14Staffing data for HMYOI Parc, Secure Training Centre and Secure Children’s Homes is not included in this data.To boost retention levels and reduce vacancies, YCS continue to focus on staff recruitment and retention. Retention support is being provided at Feltham A and Cookham Wood to address attrition. As part of the HMPPS retention oversight process, all establishments have a Retention Action Plan in place. These plans focus improvement on areas identified by staff in exit interviews, when asked to explain their decision to leave the Youth Custody Service (YCS). Additionally, in response to exit interview data, the YCS has reviewed advertising and recruitment material, to increase attraction.We have increased national recruitment of Prison Officers and Youth Justice staff through a dedicated national campaign and new marketing and are engaged in national campaigns to increase attraction to administrative roles.To further increase retention levels and reduce vacancies, the YCS has commissioned a staffing resource review across all four public sector YOIs. This includes assessing the balance of management and frontline staff. Feltham A has been completed and a delivery plan will be implemented this Spring (impacts will be closely evaluated). Cookham Wood YOI will be the next site subject to review commencing in early 2024, followed by the remaining public YOIs.

Prison Officers: Dismissal

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds on the number of prison officers dismissed for having intimate relationships with prisoners for each year since 2014.

Edward Argar: The number of band 3-5 prisons officers who were recommended for dismissal for having an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner/ex-prisoner is given in table 1 below. It is not recorded centrally whether the relationship was intimate or not.Inappropriate relationships with prisoner(s) can result in conviction of criminal offence(s). This data does not include summary dismissals as a result of staff being convicted of criminal offences.Table 1: Number of band 3-5 prison officers1,2 recommended for dismissal3 for having an inappropriate relationship with a prisoner/ex-prisoner, 2013/14 to 2022/23(Headcount)Financial yearNumber of band 3-5 prison officers recommended for dismissalAverage band 3-5 officers in post4Percentage of band 3-5 prison officers2013/14820,6820.04%2014/15518,7320.03%2015/16419,0680.02%2016/17~18,902~2017/18320,2500.01%2018/191122,8700.05%2019/20823,1670.03%2020/211022,7900.04%2021/221323,0540.06%2022/231222,8340.05% Notes1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (including specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.2. Staff with at least one conduct and discipline case concluded during the year3. A dismissal case is defined as where at least one of the charges relating to an individual is recommended for dismissal. Information on the outcomes of any appeal is not included.4. Average of quarterly snapshots based on headcount of staff.~ denotes suppressed values of 2 or fewer or other values which would allow values of 2 or fewer to be derived by subtraction. Low numbers are suppressed to prevent disclosure in accordance with the Data Protection Act, 2018.Dismissal due to inappropriate relationship with a prisoner/ex-prisoner is a very rare occurrence given public sector prisons have over 20,000 prison officers in employment.Over the last few years we have continued to increase in capacity and deliver our counter-corruption strategy. Through the £100m Security Investment Programme announced in August 2019, over 100 new staff were recruited into the Counter Corruption Unit. This includes regional 'Prevent' teams, dedicated to building staff resilience through training, awareness raising and individual support.

Prison Officers

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were on detached duty in 2023; and what the additional cost to the public purse was for the provision of prison officers on detached duty in 2023.

Edward Argar: As the length of deployment for prison officers on national detached duty varies, we have provided data based on average deployment rates.On average 332.35 staff per week were deployed on National Detached Duty in 2023. We estimate that the average additional cost associated with this deployment is £313,093.04 per week: this includes travel and subsistence, accommodation and incentivisation costs.

Home Office

Asylum: Employment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers whose asylum application has remained unresolved for more than 12 months have been granted permission to work in each year since 2015.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office is unable to state how many asylum seekers were granted the right-to-work because their application remained unresolved for more than 12 months in each year since 2015, as the number of asylum seekers granted permission to work is not published.Those who have claimed asylum in the UK and have had their asylum claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, are able to apply for permission to work. Those permitted to work are restricted to jobs on the Shortage Occupation List, which is based on expert advice from the independent Migration Advisory Committee.

Immigration Controls: Personal Income

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2024 to Question 11230 on Immigration: Personal Income, how many people on the current 10 year route to settlement will now have to meet a higher income threshold.

Tom Pursglove: People on the 10-year route to settlement do not need to meet an income threshold. Under Appendix FM, a partner, parent, or child can make an application for settlement on the basis of the five-year route where they meet the requirements of the rules, including where applicable the Minimum Income Requirement. Where those requirements are not met, but there are exceptional circumstances, then applicants may be granted permission to stay under the ten-year route to settlement. Those on the ten-year route to settlement are able to switch back to re-commence the five-year route if they meet all of the requirements including, where relevant, the level of Minimum Income Requirement in place at the time they make their application.

Police: Complaints

Ashley Dalton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to support local police forces to help them to deal with complaints backlogs.

Chris Philp: The Government implemented a series of legislative reforms in 2020 to the police complaints and disciplinary systems. These changes were designed to achieve a simpler, more proportionate, and customer-focused complaints system focused on learning and improvement.The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) collects and publishes information from all police forces in England and Wales about the type of complaints they are receiving and how long they take to deal with them. The most recent police complaints statistics report can be found here:https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/our-work/research-and-statistics/police-complaints-statisticsFrom the most recent publication (2022/23) the IOPC note that “more complaints are being sorted quickly, as the new system intended, with fewer complaints resulting in lengthy investigations. This is to be welcomed. In many cases these are being replaced with responses that are more proportionate with appropriate explanations and apologies.”The IOPC, Home Office and wider policing sector are continuing to work with forces to seek to improve their handling of police complaints. The Home Office will also continue to collect, review and publish data annually on police complaints, conduct matters and recordable conduct matters.

Home Office: Ministerial Boxes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to his Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.

Chris Philp: No ministerial red boxes have been reported lost or missing in the last three years.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Cereals: Supply Chains

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has taken steps to help ensure that the Grain Passport Scheme is carried out digitally.

Mark Spencer: The digitisation of the grain passport in the arable supply chain is an industry led initiative run through the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board led Digital Passport Leadership Group.The group are currently consulting on delivery of the digitisation of the passport. Following this, the Group will review the responses and decide on a way forward.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Written Questions

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he plans to reply to Question 8408 on Offences against Children tabled on 8 January 2024 by the hon. Member for Easington for answer on 11 January 2024.

Mark Spencer: The answer to question 8408 was published on 19 January 2024.

Rural Payments Agency: Digital Mapping

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2023 to Question 6369 on Rural Payments Agency: Digital Mapping, how many and what proportion of people have been waiting for more than (a) three and (b) six months in (i) Mid Bedfordshire constituency and (ii) the UK.

Mark Spencer: There are no farm businesses waiting for more than three or six months in England for field boundary changes. The average time to complete processing is 13 days recognising that some changes are straightforward, and some take more time depending on the extent of the changes requested.

Food: Waste

Bell Ribeiro-Addy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has conducted forecasting on the potential for England to meet the Government target of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030.

Robbie Moore: The Waste and Resources Action Programme published data showing a 18% reduction to 2021. To meet the Sustainable Development Goal target, we know we need to do more. A continued focus will be necessary on preventing household food waste, which forms the largest percentage of waste. We continue to support businesses to help citizens buy what they need and use what they buy through supporting WRAP in developing best practice guidance for industry and funding citizen campaigns such as Love Food Hate Waste and Food Waste Action Week. We regularly monitor and evaluate the progress of these interventions.

Fly-tipping: Fixed Penalties

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to increase the penalties for people who are successfully prosecuted for fly tipping.

Robbie Moore: While the law already allows for an unlimited fine and/or imprisonment, sentencing is a matter for the independent courts. Together with the National Fly-tipping Prevention Group, we have produced a guide on how local authorities, and others, can present robust cases to court to support sentences that properly reflect the severity of fly tipping. This is available at https://www.keepbritaintidy.org/national-fly-tipping-prevention-group. Our recent fly-tipping statistics for 2022/23 showed that the average court fine increased by over 10%. We will continue to explore other options, such as increasing magistrates’ awareness of the impact of fly-tipping.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government: Vacancies

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the number of council staff vacancies in each year since 2015.

Simon Hoare: Local authorities are independent employers and are responsible for managing their own workforces and staff vacancies. The Department does not collect this data centrally.

Teesworks Joint Venture Independent Review

Sir Simon Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what the total cost was of the Independent inquiry into Teesworks.

Simon Hoare: Given the seriousness of allegations made in this House, it was only right that we answered the Mayor's calls to establish a review. This was a thorough review undertaken by qualified individuals, which does result in costs to the taxpayer. When this is finalised we will make it publicly available.

Elections: National Security

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many members of staff were working in the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit on 31 January 2024.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he and the Minister for the Cabinet Office plan to increase the number of staff who work in the Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit.

Simon Hoare: It is, and always will be, an absolute priority for this Government to protect our democratic and electoral processes. The Joint Election Security and Preparedness Unit (JESP) works between DLUHC and GSG in Cabinet Office to coordinate election security and preparedness activity within government and externally. JESP carries out the majority of its work to track and mitigate risks through officials in other government departments and the UK intelligence community. The JESP also works with the devolved administrations, local authorities and the Electoral Commission.Details of staffing are published in departmental organograms, which are updated periodically.

Homelessness

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) prevent and (b) reduce rates of homelessness among people with (i) long-term drug addictions, (ii) long-term serious mental health issues and (iii) learning disabilities.

Felicity Buchan: My department continues to work closely with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), the NHS and public health bodies to improve health and housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness. In partnership with OHID, we are providing up to £186.5 million over three years (from 2022-25) for the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant to support local areas to implement evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment and wrap around support for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. We are also providing up to £53 million to fund housing support interventions which will improve the recovery outcomes for people in drug and alcohol treatment with a housing need.

Pay: South East

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to help increase wage levels in the South East.

Jacob Young: Getting more people into work and ensuring work pays is a priority for the Government. The Government is committed to greater economic opportunities in all parts of the country including the South East.On 1 April 2024, the Government will increase the National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 21 years and over by 9.8% to £11.44 an hour.

Hospitality Industry and Retail Trade: Empty Property

Helen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will have discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the 2023 revaluation of rateable values for retail and hospitality venues on the number of vacant premises on high streets.

Simon Hoare: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Business: Wind Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will review the eligibility criteria for businesses to install wind turbines.

Lee Rowley: Planning is a devolved matter. In England there are no specific eligibility criteria for businesses in relation to wind turbines. Businesses seeking to install wind turbines for non-domestic purposes will need to apply for planning permission from their relevant local authority.

Enterprise Zones

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make it his policy to extend the lifespan of enterprise zones for a further ten years.

Jacob Young: Announcements will be set out in the usual way.

Affordable Housing

Rachel Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what proportion of the budget for social and affordable housing is spent on (a) Ukrainian and Afghan refugee and guests schemes, (b) asylum seekers, (c) migrant workers on the shortage occupation list, (d) dependents of such migrant workers, (e) workers on the health and social care visa scheme and (f) non-UK citizens.

Lee Rowley: The department does not hold the information requested, but I have asked officials to consider how we may be able to offer this information in the future.

Cultural Heritage: Staffordshire

Sarah Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has met with (a) Tamworth Borough Council, (b) Staffordshire County Council and (c) Lichfield District Council to discuss heritage assets.

Sarah Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of Tamworth Borough Council on levelling up funding.

Jacob Young: The Government is committed to levelling up the whole country.Tamworth has been awarded £21.65 million from the Future High Street Fund to deliver regeneration of the Town Centre, which is home to a number of heritage assets. In addition to this Tamworth been awarded £2.328 million UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).Lichfield, which also has heritage assets, has been awarded £3.285 million UKSPF.I would like to thank Tamworth for hosting me during a recent political visit to the town centre, to see the impact of our levelling up funding. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on Gov.uk. Departmental officials are in constant contact with counterparts in local government on a wide range of topics.

Women and Equalities

Veganism and Vegetarianism: Care Homes

Henry Smith: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of (a) legal and (b) other protections for the right of vegans and vegetarians to manifest their beliefs in care settings.

Stuart Andrew: Ethical veganism has previously been found to be a philosophical belief under the Equality Act 2010 by an employment tribunal, in an employment context. While this is not binding in other cases, all employers and service providers, including those who administer care homes and hospitals, should have regard to the differing dietary needs of people who they provide meals to, whether these are determined by health considerations, religious or philosophical belief. Providers should also recognise that food is not the only aspect of how ethical vegans conduct their lives and where possible should ensure that these other aspects are catered for. Care providers should be aware that service users such as care home residents and ward patients may bring claims under the Act, where they consider they have been treated less favourably because of their belief in ethical veganism. In addition, public sector providers are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty which requires them, in carrying out their functions, to have due regard to the need to achieve the objectives set out under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 to:(a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010; (b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it and (c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. Specific duties, set out in regulations, ensure transparency, and assist in the performance of this duty.The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulate care homes as well as other health and care providers. One of the fundamental standards is on nutritional and hydration needs. Please see the link below. https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations/regulation-14-meeting-nutritional-hydration-needs

Department for Education

Holiday Activities and Food Programme

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) in (a) providing value for money and (b) reaching the most deprived households.

Damian Hinds: The department’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is targeted at disadvantaged families on the lowest incomes. The department knows that these children are less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, are more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health, and are more likely to experience social isolation. The programme is targeted primarily towards children who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). This can include children from families where parents are working on low incomes and are in receipt of Universal Credit. While the department asks local authorities to focus the majority of the funding on FSM children, they also have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities. Based on reporting from local authorities, over 680,000 children and young people attended the holiday activities and food programme in the 2023 summer holidays. Of these participating children, over 560,000 were funded directly by the HAF programme and over 460,000 were receiving benefits-related FSM. The reports showed that over 10,000 clubs, events or organised activities operated across the country over the summer. HAF is a voluntary programme for eligible children, and families can therefore choose whether or not their children attend. The department is pleased that the programme reached so many children last summer.

Teachers: Training

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has consulted (a) autistic people and (b) the families of autistic people as part of their review of the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework.

Damian Hinds: The department reviewed the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF) during 2023, in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation and groups of sector experts, including Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) specialists. This review included a public call for evidence. Following this review, the updated and combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) was published on 30 January 2024, for delivery from 2025. The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and early career teachers (ECT) when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Coordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has also made some edits to existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework. Recognising the importance of ensuring trainees and ECTs are confident in supporting pupils with SEND to succeed, the department will also be enhancing the requirements on ECF lead providers when creating SEND exemplification materials. The ITTECF is based on the best peer-reviewed evidence about what works and is designed to emphasise the importance of high-quality teaching. The framework therefore deliberately does not detail approaches specific to particular additional needs, such as autism, but focusses on what makes the most effective teaching. When reviewing the frameworks in 2023, the department tested this approach with SEND educational experts, with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs.

Religion: Education

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her Department's policy is on the classification of religious education as a school subject; and what funding she has allocated to support the teaching of (a) religious education and (b) national curriculum core subjects in each of the last five years.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted Annual Report 2022/23, what plans her Department has to reduce the variation in the standards of teaching of religious education; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of adding the subject to the national curriculum.

Damian Hinds: Religious Education (RE) is an important part of a school’s curriculum and can contribute to a young person’s personal, social and academic development. When taught well, the subject develops children’s knowledge of British values and traditions, helps them to better understand those of other countries, and refines pupils’ ability to construct well-informed, balanced and structured arguments. This is why it remains a compulsory subject in all state-funded schools in England for each pupil up to the age of 18. The government read Ofsted’s 2023 report with interest. Whilst there is no specific allocation of funding for RE curriculum programmes, the department does provide support for RE teaching in a number of other ways, particularly in relation to teaching quality. The department is offering a £10,000 bursary for RE trainee teachers that are starting initial teacher training courses in the 2024/25 academic year. To support teachers when they are in post, and to ensure high standards and consistency of RE teaching, RE resources will be procured by Oak National Academy during the second tranche of its work. Oak will work closely with the sector and utilise sector experience when producing new materials for RE. This will ensure that high-quality lessons are available nationwide, benefitting both teachers and pupils, should schools opt to use them. Oak RE resources will be available for teaching from autumn 2024, with full packages expected to be available by autumn 2025. The department also continues to offer eight-week subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) courses in the 2022/23 academic year for candidates who have the potential to become outstanding teachers but need to increase their subject knowledge. The eight week SKE course, available in RE, can be undertaken on a full time or part time basis but must be completed before qualified teacher status can be recommended and awarded. Eligible candidates could be entitled to a SKE bursary of £175 per week to support them financially whilst completing their SKE course.More information on these courses is available here: www.gov.uk/guidance/subject-knowledge-enhancement-an-introduction. The core national curriculum subjects of English, mathematics and science have received an estimated £290 million over the past five years. Allocated funding for English facilitates the English hubs programme, which is a school-to-school improvement programme that focusses on systematic synthetic phonics, early language and reading for pleasure. It also facilitates Poetry By Heart, which is a national poetry speaking competition for schools. The funding for mathematics supports the implementation of programmes that aim to improve the teaching of mathematics from age 4 to 18 and to increase participation in post-16 mathematics. Similarly for science, this funding supports programmes which aim to improve the subject expertise of teachers and improve workforce capacity and confidence for science teachers. In the Schools White Paper, the department has committed not to make any changes to the curriculum for the remainder of this Parliament, in order to provide stability for schools and pupils following the pandemic.

Childcare

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of eligible two year olds received free funded early education in each year between 2019 and 2023.

David Johnston: Data relating to government-funded early education and childcare is published in the annual ‘Education provision: children under 5 years of age’ statistical release which is available on the GOV.UK website at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-provision-children-under-5. The figures requested can be found at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/941bcc65-3f3a-4cc8-9712-08dc1cb7c782.

Apprentices: Qualifications

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will provide a breakdown of the number of people starting level (a) 3, (b) 4 and (c) higher apprenticeships in the last 12 months by age; and how many and what proportion of those people had passed a level 2 qualification in (i) English and (ii) maths when they started.

Robert Halfon: The number of apprenticeship starts in the 2022/23 academic year by age and detailed level can be found in the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/61f7174f-5980-4983-e812-08dc1e6f466d. The department does not hold information relating to prior achievement for English and mathematics qualifications.

Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education: Staff

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many members of staff of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education are working on (a) apprenticeships, (b) T Levels, (c) Higher Technical Qualifications, (d) Level 3 and below qualifications and (e) occupational maps.

Robert Halfon: This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the hon. Member for Feltham and Heston, and a copy of this reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Treasury

National Insurance

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many additional staff he has (a) recruited and (b) transferred from other roles in order to process additional changes to National Insurance records arising from (i) the HMRC exercise to correct errors in records relating to Home Responsibilities Protection and (ii) the forthcoming online service on payment of voluntary NI contributions.

Nigel Huddleston: HMRC has recruited 42 FTE (Admin Officers) to support the 18 months Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) exercise, adding to the small core team in situ, there has been no transfer of operational resource to HRP. The forthcoming online service for the payment of voluntary NI contributions, will allow HMRC to see a reduction in the operational resource supporting the current route. In April 2023 we deployed an additional 200 FTE to support the payment of voluntary National Insurance in a telephony/post capacity.

Self-employed: Finance

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship.

Nigel Huddleston: There has been no recent assessment of the potential impact of requiring payments on accounts from self-employed workers on levels of financial hardship. However, HMRC is committed to helping all taxpayers pay their taxes and urges anyone having difficulty to make contact as soon as possible, to discuss the payment options that are available. HMRC offers Time to Pay instalment arrangements for taxpayers who cannot afford to make full payment of their tax when it is due. HMRC also provides a Budget Payment Plan service, through which self-assessment taxpayers can make advance payments to pay off a forthcoming tax payment, such as a payment on account. Self-Assessment taxpayers (including the self-employed) can make a claim to reduce or cancel their payments on account if they think they are excessive, or no longer due.

State Retirement Pensions: Underpayments

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) letters have been issued to people who are likely to have been underpaid their state pension as a result of their national insurance record not including the correct entitlement of home responsibilities protection, (b) responses have been received and (c) people have had their state pension increased as a result; and how much has been paid in arrears as of 30 January 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: The main corrections exercise for the historic Home Responsibilities Protection issue began in Autumn 2023. HMRC and DWP are currently working through the initial responses at this early stage in the exercise. The Government will publish key management information on the exercise, established between the HMRC and DWP regularly, beginning in the coming months.

Housing: Older People

Sir Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ending the stamp duty penalty for operators of integrated retirement communities modernising the terms of leases of homes units before they are resold to new residents.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government has been made aware of a proposal for a Stamp Duty Land Tax relief for operators of integrated retirement communities. All taxes are kept under review.

Treasury: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Gareth Davies: The Environment Act 2021 places a legal duty on Ministers of the Crown to have ‘due regard’ to the environmental principles policy statement (EPPS) when making policy. The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within its scope. The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are:made by Ministers of the Crown; andnot covered by the exemptions for the armed forces, defence or national security, taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within government. The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.

Taxis: VAT

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to start a consultation on the VAT treatment of private hire vehicles.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government understands that, following the Uber Britannia Ltd v Sefton MBC High Court ruling, the private hire vehicle sector are seeking clarity on the VAT implications of this ruling. The Government remains committed to consulting on the impacts of this ruling, and will publish a consultation in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

Question

Jerome Mayhew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to expand the support available through Jobcentres in Broadland constituency.

Jo Churchill: The local Jobcentre team are collaborating with a range of partners to support people into work and help employers fill vacancies. In addition to hosting jobs fairs and delivering sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPs), they are working with Breckland, Kings Lynn & West Norfolk and North Norfolk District Councils, Duke of Lancaster Academy and Fakenham Academy to provide an employment and skills offer to help meet the recruitment needs of local employers.

Universal Credit

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish data on the (a) geographical location and (b) age profile of people who have not claimed Universal Credit following required migration.

Jo Churchill: The latest published statistics which include geography and age breakdowns can be accessed at: Completing the move to Universal Credit: statistics related to the move of households claiming Tax Credits and DWP benefits to Universal Credit: data to end of August 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Jobcentres: Birmingham Selly Oak

Steve McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many jobcentre clients have been assisted by an Armed Forces Champion in Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency in the last 12 months.

Jo Churchill: Since July 2023, 47 members of the local Armed Forces community have been supported in the Selly Oak constituency. The Armed Forces Champions have specific responsibilities for supporting members of the Armed Forces community, including building staff capability within their districts, personally handling some claims, supporting veterans into work and helping resolve complex cases where necessary. Every Work Coach is trained on how to provide tailored and personalised support to members of the Armed Forces community and their families, working in partnership with their Armed Forces Champions. In those areas where there are particularly high levels of demand, for example garrison towns, this will form a significant part of the work done in individual Jobcentres. Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal departmental use only, and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard.

Cabinet Office

Coronavirus: Scotland

Christine Jardine: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the use of electronic communications during the covid-19 pandemic.

Alex Burghart: The Scottish Government’s use of electronic communications is a matter for the Scottish Government.

Population: Forecasts

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the release entitled National population projections: 2021-based interim, published by the Office for National Statistics on 30 January 2024, what (a) bodies and (b) individuals provided expert advisory feedback to the National Population Projections Committee on long-term assumptions.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the release entitled National population projections: 2021-based interim, published by the Office for National Statistics on 30 January 2024, for what reason the National Population Projections Committee agreed the average of 10 years of historical international migration data including the years ending mid-2022 and mid-2023 on which to base the long-term assumptions.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 31st January is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 111.1KB)

Newport Wafer Fab: Vishay Intertechnology

Jo Stevens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when his Department plans to make a decision on the acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab by Vishay Intertechnology.

Jo Stevens: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, for what reason his Department has not made a decision on the acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab by Vishay Intertechnology within its 30-working day target.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: Given the quasi-judicial nature of the government’s investment screening powers, and for commercial confidentiality and national security reasons, it would be inappropriate to comment on any specific acquisitions or the potential applicability of the NSI Act 2021. Decisions are always made within the statutory timeframes required by the Act. Transparency is of course a crucial part of the NSI Act, and as such, the Government has published an Annual Report detailing the use of NSI Act powers. The report and notices of any Final Orders that have been made are available on GOV.UK.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Gambling

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her planned timetable is to respond to her Department's consultation on Measures relating to the land-based gambling sector.

Stuart Andrew: The Department’s consultation on measures relating to the land-based gambling sector sought further views on a number of key policy proposals within the Gambling Act Review white paper. A response detailing the government’s position across each area will be published in due course.

Football: Schools

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on encouraging young women to play football in school.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is committed to supporting women and girls’ sport at every opportunity. In our new Sport Strategy ‘Get Active’, we set an ambitious target of getting 1 million more active children and 1.25 million more active women by 2030.We have had discussions with DfE at ministerial level on how we can continue to collectively make good progress on school sport. Our cross-government School Sport and Activity Action Plan provides the blueprint for how school sport should be delivered across the country. This includes over £600 million of investment and a clear ambition that all schools should deliver 2hrs of quality PE and equal access to sport for girls and boys, including football. The Department for Education is currently working to publish new non-statutory guidance on Physical Education before the end of March 2024 to help improve delivery.In 2022, the Government commissioned Karen Carney to lead an independent Review of domestic women’s football. Her recommendations set out a bold vision for the women’s game. On 4 December 2023, the Government responded to the Review of Women’s Football, agreeing that all ten major recommendations should be implemented. The recommendations include a commitment to the delivery of equal access to school sport for girls and we will be convening an implementation group, which will be responsible for ensuring mutual accountability for the delivery of each recommendation.Outside of school, we are investing over £300 million in grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025 which will further support women and girls accessing football. The new £30 million Lioness Futures fund will deliver approximately 30 new state of the art 3G pitches at sites supporting women’s and girls’ teams across England.

Sports: Women

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of Multi-Sports Grassroots Facilities programme projects 2023-24 on the (a) engagement and (b) participation of women and girls in sport.

Stuart Andrew: Sport and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and this government is committed to ensuring that everyone is able to play sport and be active, including women and girls.As part of our more than £300 million investment in multi-sport grassroots facilities, our delivery partners assess all potential projects against their ability to deliver increased participation of under-represented groups - including women and girls, ethnic minority communities and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Any project receiving over £25,000 in England must also have an equal access women and girls plan in place.The Government also recently announced £25 million for the Lionesses Futures Fund - topped up with £5 million additional investment from the FA - specifically to deliver up to 30 state of the art 3G artificial pitches across the country with gold-standard provision for women and girls. Reserved peak-time slots, women and girls only evenings and priority booking for women and girls’ teams will be used to drive up opportunities to get into sport. There will also be dedicated women’s changing rooms and shower facilities and accessible toilets.We are conducting a programme wide impact evaluation. This will measure the extent to which the programme has delivered increases in participation among women and girls so that these interventions can be applied more widely if successful.

BBC: Freedom of Information

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will hold discussions with the Director General of the BBC on the value for money of challenging freedom of information requests on Martin Bashir.

Julia Lopez: The BBC is operationally and editorially independent from the government and the Government cannot intervene in the BBC’s day-to-day operations or decision making.The Charter sets out that the BBC must exercise rigorous stewardship of public money. The BBC Board is responsible for securing the effective and efficient management of the finances of the BBC.As part of the most recent Charter Review the Government put in place arrangements for the National Audit Office to become the BBC’s independent auditor. The NAO is responsible for auditing the BBC accounts and ensuring value for money in the way the BBC uses its funds. This ensures that there is appropriate scrutiny of how the BBC spends its public funding.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Mr Alister Jack: The duty does not require us to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty. The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are: made by Ministers of the Crown; andnot covered by the exemptions for the armed forces, defence or national security, taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within government. The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.

Patrol Craft and Wind Power: Highlands of Scotland

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will hold discussions with the Scottish Government on taking steps to help support the manufacture of (a) offshore patrol vessels and (b) wind turbines in the Highland region of Scotland.

Mr Alister Jack: The UK Government is committed to working constructively with the devolved administrations and I would be open to engaging with the Scottish Government on Maritime Patrol Vessels in the Highland region of Scotland. However, this is a devolved matter and I have not received any representations from Scottish Government Ministers. With regard to the manufacture of Wind Turbines, the Government has announced the £960 million Green Industries Growth Accelerator to support manufacturing capacity, including for offshore wind. This will attract private investment, see the creation of high-skilled, well-paying jobs and ensure the UK stands ready to take the opportunity presented by the Net Zero Transition. The Government works directly with the Scottish Government and industry through the Offshore Wind Industry Council. The Council is engaged in assessing the needs of the offshore wind supply chain, finding opportunities for its development, and the establishment of a long-term Industrial Growth Plan.

Scotland Office: Information Officers

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department has spent on communications staff in the (a) 2022-23 financial year and (b) 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.

Mr Alister Jack: Expenditure on communications staffing costs, including employer’s pensions and national insurance contributions, but excluding any VAT where applicable, was: YearAmount (£)23-24 (to end Dec 23)1,081,26322-231,166,270

Scotland Office: Publicity

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on public information campaigns promoting Government policies in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 financial years; and how much it has spent on such campaigns in the 2023-24 financial year as of 29 January 2024.

Mr Alister Jack: The Office has spent the following on social media platforms to support UK Government policies and information campaigns in Scotland: YearAmount (£)23-24 (to date)17,72522-2349,89321-2239,818

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Fuel Poverty

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an estimate of the number of people living in fuel poverty in (a) Preston, (b) Lancashire, (c) the North West and (d) England; and what steps she is taking to help tackle fuel poverty.

Amanda Solloway: The latest official Fuel Poverty Statistics for England were published in February 2023 on gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics#2022-Statistics The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty at administrative levels in England, are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/sub-regional-fuel-poverty-data-2022 Updated statistics on fuel poverty in England and its regions will be published on 15 February 2024. The Government sees energy efficiency as a key way to tackle fuel poverty and measures are delivered through targeted schemes including the Energy Company Obligation.

Electricity Generation: Carbon Emissions

Kwasi Kwarteng: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of extending guidance on community benefit to low-carbon electricity generation on net zero targets.

Andrew Bowie: At the Autumn statement, Government committed to review our approach to community benefits to ensure that we are being strategic in identifying key sectors where community benefits can support delivery of infrastructure. The result of this review will inform our assessment of the case for extending community benefits to include technologies such as electricity generation and its impact on net zero targets.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Graham Stuart: The duty applies to all policies made from 1 November 2023, whether developed by a central department or an arm’s length body, which are:made by Ministers of the Crown; andnot covered by the exemptions for the armed forces, defense or national security, taxation, spending or the allocation of resources within Government. The environmental principles policy statement provides further information on what is considered policy in scope of the duty. Examples include strategies and frameworks.

Energy: Nature Conservation

Mr Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to her Department's National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure, published on 22 November 2023, whether she has made an assessment of the impact of the change in definition of critical national priority on protected (a) habitats and (b) species.

Andrew Bowie: The Department has published an Appraisal of Sustainability of the National Policy Statements. This assesses Critical National Priority against several themes, including the natural environment, and includes proposed monitoring to examine effects predicted through the Appraisal of Sustainability against the actual effects of the National Policy Statements once implemented. An accompanying Habitats Regulations Assessment has assessed the likely significant impacts of the National Policy Statements on protected sites, and the habitats and species associated with these sites. The published Post Adoption Statement also addresses amendments to the National Policy Statements, informed by the Appraisal of Sustainability findings.

Renewable Energy: Finance

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if her Department will allocate funding to (a) planning authorities and (b) statutory consultees to help reduce approval times for renewable (i) generation and (ii) storage projects.

Graham Stuart: Measures for improving resource and capability in the Planning Inspectorate and statutory consultees were set out in the Nationally significant Infrastructure Planning Action Plan published by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Local Communities in February last year (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationally-significant-infrastructure-projects-nsip-reforms-action-plan/nationally-significant-infrastructure-action-plan-for-reforms-to-the-planning-process), and were then consulted on in July last year. In parallel, provisions for cost recovery were included in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act. That is now being taken forward. This Department does not plan to allocate additional funding to these bodies.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: South Holland and the Deepings

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many households have received funding from the Warm Home Discount Scheme in South Holland and The Deepings constituency in each year since 2019.

Amanda Solloway: The number of households receiving warm home discount in 2022/23 under the core group is published for all parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain in Table 5 of the Warm Home Discount Statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/warm-home-discount-statistics-2022-to-2023). Figures for earlier years are only available at national level.

Energy: Prices

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she next plans to hold discussions with Ofgem on estimated trends in the level of energy costs in the next 12 months.

Amanda Solloway: Ministers and officials regularly meet with Ofgem to discuss a range of issues including trends and forecasts for the energy market. Ofgem monitor the energy market including the traded prices for Forward Delivery Contracts for periods many months in advance. Market information that is publicly available is published by Ofgem on their website:https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/energy-data-and-research/data-portal

Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill

Olivia Blake: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill on the restoration of marine habitats.

Graham Stuart: The Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED) is responsible for regulating the environmental activity for oil and gas operations. Licenses are awarded by the North Sea Transition Authority only after OPRED is satisfied that the oil and gas activities will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of a relevant Special Area of Conservation or Special Protection Area; or significantly hinder the achievement of the conservation objectives of relevant areas. The Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill will not affect this comprehensive legal framework of environmental protection measures.

Electricity: Prices

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether her Department plans to hold a public consultation on proposals to decouple electricity from wholesale gas prices.

Graham Stuart: As part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) programme, the Government is considering a range of potential options to shield consumers from the impacts of potential future commodity price spikes and to ensure they benefit from renewables. The Government plans to publish a second REMA consultation in early 2024. The CfD scheme already insulates consumers against electricity price spikes. Over time this scheme will significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuelled power generation, lowering consumer exposure to gas prices.

Tidal Power: Finance

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if her Department will set a £30m tidal stream ringfence for Allocation Round 6.

Andrew Bowie: The Government is undertaking analysis of the technology pipeline available for Contracts for Difference Auction Round 6 against our legal obligation to ensure the auction round is competitive. We are considering the appropriate parameters for all technologies, including tidal stream. Final parameters will be published in the Budget Notice in March 2024, ahead of the round opening.

Maentwrog Power Station

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many gigawatt hours of electricity the Maentwrog hydro-electric power station has generated in of the last five years.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much net revenue has the Maentwrog hydro-electric power station generated in each of the last five years.

Andrew Bowie: Generation figures for individual power stations are collected under commercial confidentiality agreements. Aggregate totals for electricity generated from hydro in Wales are published in an Energy Trends article available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/energy-trends-december-2023-special-feature-article-electricity-generation-and-supply-in-scotland-wales-northern-ireland-and-england-2018-to-2022 The Department does not collect power station revenue data.

Tidal Power: Contracts

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) setting a 1GW tidal stream target for 2035 and (b) taking steps to support UK companies bidding for tidal stream contracts (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad.

Andrew Bowie: The Government will continue to review the merits of setting a potential target for tidal stream deployment.The Department continues to engage with the Department for Business and Trade on maximising private investment opportunities for the tidal stream companies, as well as with the tidal stream industry.An unprecedented 94MW of tidal stream capacity has been secured through the Contracts for Difference scheme so far, including 11 contracts in the latest round.

Tidal Power: Finance

Virginia Crosbie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to (a) develop the tidal stream ringfence and (b) work with industry on this resource.

Andrew Bowie: The Government is undertaking analysis of the technology pipeline available for Contracts for Difference Auction Round 6 against our legal obligation to ensure the auction round is competitive. We are considering the appropriate parameters for all technologies, including tidal stream. Final parameters will be published in the Budget Notice in March 2024, ahead of the round opening. The Department continues to engage with the industry and other stakeholders to maximise opportunities for developing tidal stream in the UK.

Business: Carbon Emissions

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the policy paper entitled Net Zero business sector roadmap guidelines, published on 14 August 2023.

Graham Stuart: The Net Zero Council is a partnership between government, business and finance created to support net zero delivery and capture the benefits of this transition. The guidelines published last year provide a robust, credible and consistent set of criteria for business sector roadmaps. They were developed by the Council to help businesses create tailored action plans to reduce emissions across their sectors.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Ministerial Boxes

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many ministerial red boxes belonging to his Department have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen in each of the last three years.

David T C Davies: None.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: My Department has a legal duty to have due regard to the Environmental Principles Policy, as it applies to Ministers when making policy and in some instances, arm’s length bodies may also develop policy for Ministers, however, the duty does not require either the Northern Ireland Office or its arm’s length bodies to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within the scope of the duty.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Command Paper entitled Safeguarding the Union, published on 31 January 2024, CP 1021, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Welsh Government on the potential impact of the decision to replace the Green Lane with a UK Internal Market system on the ability of goods to travel from Wales to Northern Ireland through the Republic of Ireland.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Cabinet has engaged with these new measures which have been collectively agreed in the usual way. On 31 January 2024, I wrote to the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland regarding the Government’s work to secure a restored Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly and on the Safeguarding the Union command paper (CP 1021).

Attorney General

Attorney General: Environment Protection

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Attorney General, which policies under each arms length body reporting to their Department fall within the scope of the Environmental principles policy statement, published on 31 January 2023.

Robert Courts: The duty, which came into force on 1 November 2023, does not require the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) nor its superintended bodies (the Crown Prosecution Service, the Government Legal Department, the Serious Fraud Office, and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate) to maintain a comprehensive list of policies within scope of the duty.The AGO and the bodies it superintends do not lead on policy.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

4G and 5G: Yorkshire and the Humber

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help improve 4G and 5G coverage in (a) Yorkshire and (b) East Yorkshire constituency.

Julia Lopez: This Government is taking steps to improve both 4G and 5G coverage across the country. Across Yorkshire and the Humber our £1bn agreement with the industry to deliver the Shared Rural Network (SRN) will see 4G coverage from all four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) rise to 90%, up from 81% when the programme began in 2020. 4G coverage from at least one MNO will increase to 99%, up from 95%. In East Yorkshire, 4G coverage already stands at 93% from all four MNOs and almost 100% from at least one MNO. While the SRN is focused on areas with poorer coverage, it is not the only focus for infrastructure investment for mobile connectivity. In addition, the MNOs independently invest around £2 billion annually across the UK in enhancing and improving their networks. The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, published in April 2023, set out the Government’s vision for wireless connectivity and shared a new ambition for nationwide coverage of higher quality standalone 5G in all populated areas by 2030. This provides a long-term ambition to help the private sector invest in 5G networks by supporting competition, driving down deployment costs and driving the take-up of innovative, 5G-enabled tech by the business and the public sector. The Department provides extensive guidance for local authorities and operators to help facilitate broadband and mobile deployment through the Digital Connectivity Portal. We have also taken steps to make it easier and cheaper for operators to deploy 4G and 5G. This includes reforming the planning system in England. Alongside this, measures within the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022, will support the deployment of wireless infrastructure, including 4G and 5G.